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THE PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE TO CONGRESS 

 ■ ON THE NATIONAL WASTE-MANAGEMENT PROGRAM 



FEBRUARY 12, 1980 



Today I am establishing this Nation's first comprehensive radio- 

 active waste management program. My paramount objective in managing 

 nuclear wastes is to protect the health and safety of all Americans, 

 both now and in the future. I share this responsibility with elected 

 officials at all levels of our government. Our citizens have a deep 

 concern that the beneficial uses of nuclear technology, including the 

 generation of electricity, not be allowed to Imperil public health or 

 safety now or in the future. 



For more than 30 years, radioactive wastes have been generated 

 by programs for national defense, by the commercial nuclear power 

 program, and by a variety of medical, industrial and research activi- 

 ties. Yet past governmental efforts to manage radioactive wastes 

 have not been technically adequate. Moreover, they have failed to 

 involve successfully the States, local governments, and the public 

 in policy or program decisions. My actions today lay the foundation 

 for both a technically superior program and a full cooperative Federal- 

 State partnership to ensure public confidence in a waste mangement 

 program. 



My program is consistent with the broad consensus that has evolved 

 from the efforts of the Interagency Review Group on Radioactive Waste 

 Management CIRG) which I established. The IRG findings and analysis 

 were comprehensive, thorough and widely reviewed by public, industry 

 and citizen groups, State and local governments, and members of the 

 Congress. Evaluations of the scientific and technical analyses were 

 obtained through a broad and rigorous peer review by the scientific 

 community. The final recommendations benefited from and reflect this 

 input. 



I 



My objective is to establish a comprehensive program for the 

 management of all types of radioactive wastes. My policies and pro- 

 grams establish mechanisms to ensure that elected officials and the 

 public fully participate in waste decisions, and direct Federal 

 departments and agencies to implement a waste management strategy 

 which is safe, technically sound, conservative, and open to continu- 

 ous public review. This approach will help ensure that we will reach 

 our objective — the safe storage of all forms of nuclear waste. 



Our primary objective is to isolate existing and future radio- 

 active waste from military and civilian activities from the biosphere 

 and pose no significant threat to public health and safety. The 

 responsibility for resolving military and civilian waste management 

 problems shall not be deferred to future generations. The technical 



