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Immediate attention will focus on locating and 

 characterizing a number of potential repository 

 sites in a variety of different geologic environ- 

 ments with diverse rock types. This effort will be 

 supported by a comprehensive research and develop- 

 ment program. When four to five sites have been 

 evaluated and found potentially suitable for a 

 repository, one or more will be selected for further 

 development as a licensed, full-scale repository. 

 The site for the first full-scale repository should 

 be selected by about 1985' and it should be 

 operational by the mid-1990's. 



- The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIP,P) project will 

 be cancelled since it is unlicensed and cannot 

 accept commercial wastes. The site of the proposed 

 project at Carlsbad, New Mexico, will be investi- 

 gated further and if found qualified will be 

 reserved for consideration along with other 

 candidate sites in different geologic environments 

 as a licensed repository for high level wastes. 



• The safe interim storage of commercial spent fuel from 

 nuclear power reactors will continue to be the respon- 

 sibility of the utilities operating these plants until 

 a permanent geologic repository capability exists. 

 However, the Administration will continue to press for 

 legislation to build or acquire limited spent fuel 

 storage capacity at one or more away-f rom-reactor (AFR) 

 facilities for those utilities unable to expand their 

 storage capabilities and for limited amounts of foreign 

 spent fuel when the objectives of the U.S. nonprolifer- 

 ation policy would be furthered. 



• The Department of Energy will work with the States in 

 their efforts to establish a reliable commercial low 

 level radioactive waste disposal system. 



• The Administration will submit legislation to extend 

 Nuclear Regulatory Commission licensing authority to 

 cover all DOE facilities for transuranic waste disposal 

 and any new DOE sii;>?s for disposal of commercial low 

 level waste. Under existing law, NRC has licensing 

 authority over DOE facilities for disposal of high 

 level radioactive wastes. 



• Specific actions will be taken to improve and expedite 

 regulatory actions by the Environmental Protection 

 Agency and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. 



• The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is determing whether 

 or not it has confidence that radioactive wastes can be 

 disposed of safely. The President is urging the NRC to 

 conduct its proceeding in a timely manner and to 



