WARD VALLEY UPDATE for JULY 10, 1997

U.S. General Accounting Office Report on Ward Valley Anticipated This Month

The United States General Accounting Office is preparing a report on the Interior Department's handling of California's application to purchase 1,000 acres of federal land in Ward Valley, California for use as the site of the Southwestern Compact's regional low-level radioactive waste disposal facility. It is anticipated that the GAO report will be released about the middle of this month. California's application to purchase the land was made in July, 1992. The sale and transfer of the federal land to the State was approved by the Bush administration in January, 1993. However, the Clinton administration rescinded that decision and has stalled the land sale and transfer for four-and-a-half years.

The GAO report was requested by Senator Frank Murkowski, Chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and seven Representatives including Congressmen Brian Bilbray of San Diego, Ken Calvert of Riverside, Tom Campbell of San Jose, David Dreier of Covina, and Ron Packard of San Clemente.

Senate Committee Hearing on Ward Valley Scheduled for July 22nd

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee is scheduled to hold a hearing on the Ward Valley land transfer on July 22, 1997. It is anticipated that testimony will be offered by representatives of the U.S. Department of the Interior, the U.S. General Accounting Office, and the California Department of Health Services.