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Second, for disposal of high level radioactive waste, I am 

 adopting an interim planning strategy focused on the use of mined 

 geologic repositories capable of accepting both waste from repro- 

 cessing and unreprocessed commercial spent fuel. An interim strat- 

 egy is needed since final decisions on many steps which need to be 

 taken should be preceded by a full environmental review under the 

 National Environmental Policy Act. In its search for suitable sites 

 for high level waste repositories, the Department of Energy has 

 mounted an expanded and diversified program of geologic investiga- 

 tions that recognizes the Importance of the Interaction among 

 geologic setting, repository host rock, waste form and other engi- 

 neered barriers on a site-specific basis. Immediate attention will 

 focus on research and development, and on locating and characteriz- 

 ing a number of potential repository sites in a variety of different 

 geologic environments with diverse rock types. When four to five 

 sites have been evaluated and found potentially suitable, one or 

 more will be selected for further development as a licensed full- 

 scale repository. 



It is important to stress the following two points: First, 

 because the suitability of a geologic disposal site can be verified 

 only through detailed and time-consuming site specific evaluations, 

 actual sites and their geologic environments must be carefully 

 examined. Second, the development of a repository will proceed in 

 a careful step-by-step manner. Experience and information gained 

 at each phase will be reviewed and evaluated to determine if there 

 is sufficient knowledge to proceed with the next stage of development. 

 We should be ready to select the site for the first full-scale reposi- 

 tory by about 1985 and have it operational by the mid-1990's. For 

 reasons of economy, the first and subsequent repositories should 

 accept both defense and commercial wastes. 



Consistent with my decision to expand and diversify the Depart- 

 ment of Energy's program of geologic investigation before selecting 

 a specific site for repository development, I have decided that the 

 Waste Isolation Pilot Plant project should be cancelled. This pro- 

 ject Is currently authorized for the unlicensed disposal of transuranic 

 waste from our National defense program, and for research and develop- 

 ment using high level defense waste. This project is inconsistent 

 with my policy that all repositories for highly radioactive waste be 

 licensed, and that they accept both defense and commercial wastes. 



The site near Carlsbad, New Mexico, which was being considered 

 for this project, will continue to be evaluated along with other sites 

 in other parts of the country. If qualified, it will be reserved as 

 one of several candidate sites for possible use as a licensed reposi- 

 tory for defense and commercial high level wastes. My fiscal year 

 1981 budget contains funds in the commercial nuclear waste program 



