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                                   ENGROSSED HOUSE JOINT MEMORIAL NO. 33

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State of Washington                              49th Legislature                              1986 Regular Session

By Representatives Sutherland, Long, Valle, Crane and Peery

Read first time 1/23/86 and referred to Committee on Energy & Utilities.

TO THE HONORABLE RONALD REAGAN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, AND TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AND TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES, IN CONGRESS ASSEMBLED:

          We, your Memorialists, the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Washington, in legislative session assembled, respectfully represent and petition as follows:

          WHEREAS, The Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 (PL 97-425) directs the United States Department of Energy to select a nuclear waste repository; and

          WHEREAS, The USDOE site selection process for a first repository does not consider all potentially acceptable geologic media; and

          WHEREAS, Delay in implementation of the site selection process coupled with the adoption of an integral Monitored Retrievable Storage program allows time for consideration of other potentially acceptable geologic media which should be identified and evaluated prior to repository site selection; and

          WHEREAS, The process established by the NWPA requires that at the time USDOE recommends a site to the President for development of a repository the recommended site must be selected from three alternative sites with respect to each of which, following substantial completion of site characterization, USDOE has made a preliminary determination of suitability for development as a repository; and

          WHEREAS, In addition USDOE now takes the position that there is no requirement that there be three alternative, viable sites from which to select when USDOE recommends a site to the President for development of a repository; and

          WHEREAS, If USDOE attempts to follow through on its current position concerning the appropriate timing for the preliminary determination of suitability, such action will constitute a significant departure from the NWPA requirements and will certainly result in serious negative impacts on the entire repository siting process;

          NOW, THEREFORE, Your Memorialists respectfully pray that:

          (1) Amendments to the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 be adopted that require USDOE to examine other potentially acceptable geologic media for consideration as the first nuclear waste repository; and

          (2) USDOE substantially complete site characterization, including sinking of exploratory shafts and evaluation of in situ geologic and hydrologic suitability at a site before making a preliminary determination of suitability for development as a repository and consider and rank at least three reasonable viable alternatives at the time of site selection.

          BE IT RESOLVED, That copies of this Memorial be immediately transmitted to the Honorable Ronald Reagan, President of the United States, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, each member of Congress from the State of Washington, and appropriate persons in the United States Department of Energy.