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On December 29, 1959 President Eisenhower announced that the
U.S.
would not extend the moratorium on nuclear weapons tests, but
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before any resumption of testing, we would announce to the world
our intention to do so.
As a result, inquiries have been received regarding our
readiness to resume testing and steps being taken to improve that
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appropriate that the AEC clarify its position on test readiness.
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Throughout the test moratorium the Commission followed the
national policy by supporting the discontinuance of weapons development testing while maintaining its Eniwetok Proving Ground and Nevada
Test Site in a stand-by status in order that the U.S. could resume
testing and not be outstripped in weapons development should the
Soviets again start testing.
The Commission concentrated efforts on determination of
detectability of nuclear tests in order that an enforceable test
ban agreement could be reached.
To accomplish this, a series of
tests was planned, as recommended by the Berkner Panel report, to
check the feasibility of hiding underground nuclear detonations through
reducing, or "decoupling",
the seismic impulse they produce.
A series
of conventional high explosive tests is now being conducted at Winnfield,
Louisiana.
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