WARD VALLEY LAND TRANSFER

[<cgj@nrc.gov> (Cynthia G. Jones )]

HOT OFF THE WIRE.............

Secretary Babbitt has issued a press release today 
announcing that he has decided to go ahead with the 
transfer of Federal land to the State of California 
for the Ward Valley LLW disposal facility.  This 
transfer is conditioned on receiving a "binding 
commitment" from the State of California that the 
additional safeguards recommended by the NAS be carried 
out, that the total volume and radioactivity of the 
material to be disposed of be limited to the amounts 
currently specified in the license, and the there be 
a specific limit on plutonium.

In a letter dated May 26, 1995, Governor Wilson 
described to Secretary Babbitt how the NAS 
recommendations would be carried out by California.  
Some issues are yet unaddressed, in Secretary Babbitt's 
view.

It is not clear how long or how difficult it will be 
to resolve these remaining issues at this time, so 
that the land could be transferred.  However, the 
Secretary is endorsing the NAS panel report (site 
opponents have been critical of the panel and its 
findings) and has decided to not require a public 
hearing, which he had proposed some two years ago.

Cynthia Jones, NRC
CGJ@NRC.GOV
Division of Industrial and Medical Nuclear Safety