14.589/2: S.hrg. 98-993 S. HRG. 98-993 ROCKY MOUNTAIN LOW-LEVEL HEARING BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY NINETY-EIGHTH CONGRESS SECOND SESSION ON S. 1991 A BILL TO GRANT THE CONSENT OF THE CONGRESS TO THE ROCKY Cheyenne, Wyoming JANUARY 12, 1984 CIS RECORD ONLY: Serial No. J-98-89 Printed for the use of the Committee on the Judiciary STANFORD UNIVERSITY AFR 1985 SON LIBRARY OF GOVT DOCUMEN U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WASHINGTON: 1984 33-340 O COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY STROM THURMOND, South Carolina, Chairman CHARLES MCC. MATHIAS, JR., Maryland PAUL LAXALT, Nevada ORRIN G. HATCH, Utah ROBERT DOLE, Kansas ALAN K. SIMPSON, Wyoming JOHN P. EAST, North Carolina JOSEPH R. BIDEN, JR., Delaware HOWARD M. METZENBAUM, Ohio DENNIS DECONCINI, Arizona PATRICK J. LEAHY, Vermont MAX BAUCUS, Montana HOWELL HEFLIN, Alabama VINTON DEVANE LIDE, Chief Counsel and Staff Director MARK H. GITENSTEIN, Minority Chief Counsel (II) CONTENTS OPENING STATEMENTS Page CHRONOLOGICAL LIST OF WITNESSES Hamric, J.P., Director, Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Management Divi- sion, U.S. Department of Energy, Idaho Operations Office__ Daley, Lt. Col. Peter S., Director, Environmental Policy, Department of Sjoblom, Glen, Director, Office of Radiation Programs, Environmental Attachment 1-Resolution No. 2 of the Rocky Mountain Low- Level Radioactive Waste Board___ Attachment 2-Resolution No. 1 of the Rocky Mountain Low- Level Radioactive Waste Board__ Attachment 3-Answers to questions posed by the committee__ Discussion of proposed congressional consent language and legis- Memorandum from Guy H. Cunningham III, executive legal direc- tor, to G. Wayne Kerr, director on the civil penalty provisions Letter to Joseph A. Cannon, Assistant Administrator for Air, Noise and Radiation, EPA from Capt. William H. Briner, secretary- treasurer, Southeast Interstate Low-Level Radioactive Waste Man- Followup to question of Senator Simpson___ ROCKY MOUNTAIN LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE COMPACT THURSDAY, JANUARY 12, 1984 U.S. SENATE, COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY, Cheyenne, Wyo. The committee met, pursuant to notice, at 9:30 a.m., in Coachroom A and B of the Hitching Post Inn, Cheyenne, Wyo., Hon. Alan K. Simpson (acting chairman of the committee) presiding. Staff present: James Curtiss, associate counsel to the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. OPENING STATEMENT OF SENATOR ALAN K. SIMPSON Senator SIMPSON. Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, and good morning, Ed, Governor. The Committee on the Judiciary meets here today in Cheyenne to consider an issue that is of considerable importance. The issue of lowlevel radioactive waste disposal. It is difficult to hold a hearing when you can't hear. I just got out of a single-engine plane from Cody, and I hear reverberations of my voice, so hopefully I'm speaking what I think I'm speaking. Well, 3 years ago, we passed the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Policy Act. That gave us the framework for the States and Federal Government to work together to address the issue of low-level waste disposal. And under this act, the States are, of course, authorized to use regional compacts for the purpose of providing for safe, effective, and efficient disposal of low-level waste disposal on a regional basis, with each region responsible for disposal of its own waste products. And this act, together with the Nuclear Waste Policy Act, which I was pleased to have cosponsored that passed in 1983, set the groundwork for a comprehensive program of waste management in the nuclear field that is virtually unprecedented in its scope and should insure that each and every aspect of nuclear waste disposal, whether it be low or high level, will be performed in a safe and efficient manner. It took us a good many years to get to that point, as the Governor knows so well, too. Well, I appreciate and I followed-the sincere efforts of the Rocky Mountain region compact with great interest over the past 3 years, both in my role as a member of the Judiciary Committee, to which all interstate compacts are referred, and in my role as chairman of the Subcommittee on Nuclear Regulation. (1) |