BILLS TO AMEND THE SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL ACT REGARDING JURIS- APRIL 10, 1986 Serial No. 99-119 Printed for the use of the Committee on Energy and Commerce 65-006 O U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WASHINGTON: 1986 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, Congressional Sales Office COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND COMMERCE JOHN D. DINGELL, Michigan, Chairman JAMES H. SCHEUER, New York DOUG WALGREN, Pennsylvania W.J. "BILLY" TAUZIN, Louisiana RON WYDEN, Oregon RALPH M. HALL, Texas BILL RICHARDSON, New Mexico GERRY SIKORSKI, Minnesota JIM BATES, California JAMES T. BROYHILL, North Carolina THOMAS J. BLILEY, JR., Virginia MICHAEL G. OXLEY, Ohio KF27 1986b CONTENTS Aveni, Virginia, deputy director, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency.. Connor, Tim, Hanford Education Action League... Crawford, Lisa, Fernald Residents for Environmental Safety and Health... Davis, John G., Director, Office of Nuclear Material Safety, Nuclear Foley, Sylvester R., Assistant Secretary for Defense Programs, Depart- Fygi, Eric J., Deputy General Counsel, Department of Energy Stanley, Roger F., Washington State Department of Ecology. Walker, Mary L., Assistant Secretary for Environment, Safety, and 87-600526 (III) DOE REGULATION OF MIXED WASTE THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 1986 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND Washington, DC. The subcommittees met, pursuant to notice, at 10:06 a.m., in room 2322, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Edward J. Markey (chairman, Subcommittee on Energy Conservation and Power), and Hon. James J. Florio (chairman, Subcommittee on Commerce, Transportation, and Tourism) presiding. Mr. MARKEY. Good morning, and welcome to this joint hearing of the Subcommittee on Energy Conservation and Power and the Subcommittee on Commerce, Transportation, and Tourism on the safety of the Department of Energy facilities and the troubling question of how to regulate mixed wastes. I would like to preface my remarks with one very significant reminder, we are here today not only to ponder the problems at DOE facilities, but to search for a solution. Representative Ron Wyden, from the State of Oregon, and Representative Tom Luken, from the State of Ohio, have proposed legislation designed to correct the mistakes of the past and to prevent them from recurring in the future. Representative Wyden has proposed a bill, H.R. 2593, which would require the Environmental Protection Agency to issue standards for radioactive releases from the management and disposal of low-level radioactive waste at DOE facilities, and to monitor such facilities on a continuous basis, thus ending the disastrous policy of self-regulation at DOE facilities. Representative Luken has proposed H.R. 2009, a bill which would clarify that solid waste mixed with radioactive material is subject to the Solid Waste Management Act. Both gentlemen have worked tirelessly to right the wrongs that they have seen and the leadership that they have provided in this area has been exemplary. The Department of Energy facilities produce the ingredients for the most destructive and awesome weapons known to man, nuclear bombs. It's not surprising to learn that making nuclear bombs also results in the generation of the most destructive wastes known to man. We may have the option of when to use nuclear weapons, but we do not have the option of postponing the production and safe treatment of waste. Every nuclear weapon made in this country leaves (1) |