No Subject

["Mercado, Don" <don.mercado@lmco.com>]

Wednesday July 21 1:00 PM ET 

N.C. Out of Nuclear Waste Compact

By SCOTT MOONEYHAM Associated Press Writer 

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - North Carolina lawmakers voted to stop development of a
low-level nuclear waste dump to replace a
South Carolina facility that is one of three such dumps in the nation.

Legislators voted Tuesday to pull out of the Southeast Compact, a
congressionally chartered group of seven Southeastern
states that was one of several created around the nation to deal with waste
disposal. The move has the backing of Gov. Jim
Hunt.

The Legislature's action leaves generators of nuclear waste - utilities and
research organizations - across most of the country
dependent on a dump in Barnwell, S.C. A dump in Utah doesn't accept the
range of wastes handled by Barnwell, and one in
Washington serves only Northwestern and Rocky Mountain area states.

North Carolina officials have been at odds for years with the compact over
development of a disposal facility, planned for a
wooded site outside of Raleigh.

The project is now years behind schedule and millions of dollars over
budget. So far, the state has spent an estimated $40
million on the project, mostly for geological studies.

State nuclear regulators held up the plan because they feared underground
water at the site would leach radioactivity into water
supplies.

``We need a new plan. We need to start over,'' said Sen. David Hoyle, a
Democrat. ``North Carolina needs to take care of
North Carolina's problem and let every other state take care of their
problem.''

Kathryn Haynes, executive director of the compact, predicted the dispute
would end up in court.

``We do have the administrative procedure, the sanctions procedure,'' Haynes
said. ``The question is ... whether we will have
to go to court to enforce them.''

The decision to leave the compact follows months of bitter dispute between
North Carolina officials and the commission.

The other states have complained that North Carolina has needlessly delayed
development of the dump.

In 1995, South Carolina pulled out of the compact because of frustration
with its northern neighbor. South Carolina passed a
law that banned North Carolina waste from Barnwell, although waste from all
other states were welcome. Waste generators in
North Carolina have to store wastes on their property.

The waste includes such items as medical waste, rags, clothing, tools and
used parts from nuclear power plants that have
picked up low levels of radioactivity.

The states in the compact are Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia,
Florida, Alabama and Mississippi. 

Donald P. Mercado
Radiation Safety Officer
Lockheed Martin Missiles & Space
O/EK-20, B/101
1111 Lockheed Martin Way
Sunnyvale, CA 94089
Ph. (408) 742-0759
Fax (408) 742-0611
Email: Don.mercado@lmco.com

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