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for protection and continued investigation of the Carlsbad site. 

 Finally, it is important that we take the time to compare the New 

 Mexico site with other sites now under evaluation for the first 

 waste repository. 



Over the next five years, the Department of Energy will carry 

 out an aggressive program of scientific and technical investigations 

 to support waste solidification, packaging and repository design and 

 construction including several experimental, retrievable emplacements 

 in test facilities. This supporting research and development program 

 will call upon the knowledge and experience of the Nation's very best 

 people in science, engineering and other fields of learning and will 

 include participation of universities, industry, and the ' government 

 departments, agencies, and national laboratories. 



Third, during the interim period before a disposal facility is 

 available, waste must and will continue to be cared for safely. 

 Management of defense waste is a Federal responsibility; the Depart- 

 ment of Energy will ensure close and meticulous control over defense 

 waste facilities which are vital to our national security. I am 

 committed to maintaining safe interim storage of these wastes as 

 long as necessary and to making adequate funding available for that 

 purpose. We will also proceed with research and development at the 

 various defense sites that will lead to the processing, packaging, 

 and ultimate transfer to a permanent repository of the high level 

 and transuranic wastes from defense programs. 



In contrast, storage of commercial spent fuel is primarily a 

 responsibility of the utilities. I want to stress that interim spent 

 fuel storage capacity is not an alternative to permanent disposal. 

 However, adequate storage is necessary until repositories are avail- 

 able. I urge the utility industry to continue to take all actions 

 necessary to store spent fuel in a manner that will protect the 

 public and ensure efficient and safe operation of power reactors. 

 However, a limited amount of government storage capacity would pro- 

 vide flexibility to our national waste disposal program and an 

 alternative for those utilities which are unable to expand their 

 storage capabilities. 



I reiterate the need for early enactment of my proposed spent 

 nuclear fuel legislation. This proposal would authorize the Depart- 

 ment of Energy to: (1) design, acquire or construct, and operate one 

 or more away-from-reactor storage facilities, and (2) accept for 

 storage, until permanent disposal facilities are available, domestic 

 spent fuel, and a limited amount of foreign spent fuel in cases when 

 such action would further our non-proliferation policy objectives. 

 All costs of storage, including the cost of locating, constructing 

 and operating permanent geologic repositories, will be recovered 



