WARD VALLEY: 1980 to 1996

The following is a detailed timeline of the proposed Ward Vallye Nuclear Waste Facility between 1980 and 1996. This is the first draft. Note corrections and additions are expected. April 26th 1996 Produced by the Abalone Alliance

• December 1980 Congress enacts the Low-level Radioactive Waste Policy Act Public Law 96-573 transferring management of low-level wastes to individual states or compacts.
  
• 1982 California passes AB 1513 directs the Department of Health Services (DHS) to do 5 actions: 1: LLW reduction 2: Interim emergency storage plans 3: establish site screening criteria 4: Levy LLW waste fees on producers 5: set up group ofexperts.
  
• 9-23-1983 California passes SB 342 set up process for selecting licensee.
  
• 4-5-1984 DHS adopts licensee designee regulations
  
• 7-6-1984 Deadline for $10,000 licensee filing fee with Chem-Nuclear, Pacific Nuclear-Morrison Knudsen, Westinghouse & U.S. Ecolgoy submitting fee
  
• 8-17-1984 DHS staff certifies all for candidate acceptable candidates
  
• 8-20-1984 DHS selects Westinghouse as license designee.
  
• 8-31-1984 Westinghouse declines designation.
  
• 10-31-1984 Round 2 of selection designee process opened.
  
• 11-08-1984 Chem-Nuclear files suit against DHS to enjoin round 2 claiming DHS failed to follow federal guidelines
  
• 01-15-1985 Round 2 applications received by Westinghouse, Chem-Nuclear and Pacific Nuclear-Morrison Knudsen
  
• 3-1-1985 Court enjoins DHS from starting round 2
  
• 7-19-1985 Court enjoins commencement of Round 2 and orders DHS to rank 3 remaining candidates
  
• 11-22-1985 DHS ranks final 3 candidates: 1) Pacific Nuclear-Morrison Knudsen; 2)Chem-Nuclear; 3)U.S. Ecology
  
• 12-5-1985 Pacific Nuclear-Morrison Knudsen drops out. DHS notifies Chem-Nuclear as license designee.
  
• 12-10-1985 Chem-Nuclear declines designation.
  
• 12-17-1985 U.S. Ecology selected as designee by DHS.
  
• 12-23-1985 US Ecology posts $1 million performance bond & $250,000 for license.
  
• December 1985 Congress enacts additonal amendments (Public Law 99-240) to the original act establishing a new set of milestones.
  
• 1986 US Ecology begins site selection process
  
• June 1986 Citizen's Advisory Committee starts site review in Inyo, Riverside and San Bernardino
  
• July 1, 1986 1st Milestone--State must join a compact or start building its own facility.
  
• 1987 U.S. Ecology announces three final candidate sites: Ward, Silurian and Panamint. Site characterization begins
  
• 5-8-1987 In a 72-0 vote, the Assembly approved Steve Peace's Southwest compact bill;
  
• 1-1-1988 LLRWPA Milestone--Compacts finalize host state and start siting.
  
• March 1988 U.S. Ecology selects Ward Valley as primary site
  
• 5-6-1988 Media arcticles promoting nuclear waste dump in Mojave;
  
• January 1989 LLRWPA Milestone--States not in compliance can now be denied access to the three operating dumps.
  
• 7-16-1989 BLM Public Hearing on DEIR/S Riverside & San Bernardino
  
• 7-17-1989 BLM Public Hearing on DEIR/S Barstow
  
• 7-18-1989 BLM Public Hearing on DEIR/S Needles
  
• 11-30-1989 BLM requests lists of species living at Ward Valley
  
• 12-1-1989 DHS and SLC commences Ward Valley site appraisal negotions.
  
• 12-15-1989 DHS states that USE's license application is complete.
  
• January 1990 LLRWPA Milestone--license application must be filed or state governor must provide guarantee disposal access
  
• 1-1-1990 DHS and SLC agree on appraisal terms.
  
• 1-1-1990 3rd Milestone--Application for license filed
  
• 1-3-1990 U.S. Ecology completes its biological site assessment.
  
• 2-1-1990 BLM completes its appraisal process
  
• 2-28-1990 BLM initiates consultation with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Ca. Fish and Game.
  
• 3-1-1990 SLC staff given okay to enter appraisal agreement with DHS
  
• 3-15-1990 Lease approval between DHS and USE approved
  
• 6-15-1990 Draft EIS/R notice of availability filed in Federal Register. 60 day public comment period begins.
  
• 7-15-17-1990 Public hearing held at Needles
  
• 8-15-1990 Comment period extended additional 45 days
  
• 8-31-1990 DEIR/S Comment Period ends
  
• 10-28-1990 Peace hearings held
  
• 1-16-1991 Southwest Compact Commission meets for first time-state of Texas asks for access to dump
  
• 2-14-1991 DHS's Hydrology committee meets
  
• 4-26-1991 Alquist proposes SB 596 (to remove our legal rights) but fails
  
• 5-7-1991 Letter with major questions of concern sent to DHS by state Sen. Bill Leonard, Assem Gil Ferguson and Paul Woodruff
  
• 5-10-1991 FEIS released by BLM/DHS
  
• 5-28-1991 Comment period extended to July 3, 1991
  
• 6-12-1991 DHS extends comment period to August 4th and announces public hearings for Needles, Los Angeles and Sacramento for July 22, 1991
  
• 7-11-1991 Representative Barbara Boxer makes request to the chair of the House Interior Committee (George Miller) to investigate Ward Valley.
  
• 7-22-1991 Over 1,000 people show up at hearings at the 3 locations with a vast majority (only 3 in support in Sacramento out of over 50 speakers) in opposition
  
• 8-2-1991 George Miller (chair of Interior Committtee) sends letter of concern to DHS
  
• 8-21-1991 The office of Michigan Gov. John Engler announced that Rep. John Dingell (chair fo House Energy and Commerce Committee) would be reopening PL 22-240
  
• 8-27-1991 SW Compact Commission meets (as a result of G. Miller's letter) over the phone and votes not to accept out of compacts at present.
  
• 9-11-1991 Dump proponents attempt to force the State Lands Comm. to transfer via SB 487 but was withdrawn as a result of political pressure.
  
• 10-8-1991 Legislative hearings on Ward Valley held by the Assembly's Natural Resources Committee.
  
• 10-17-1991 Cal/Rad Forum receives consultant's strategy report focussing on getting Gov. Wilson to sign an executive order, baypassing the State Lands Commission land transfer block.
  
• January 1992 LLRWPA Milestone--$120/cu ft charge starts on waste coming into the three open state sites
  
• 01-17-1992 State deadline for newly proposed legislation
  
• 1-16-1992 The state considers using Vista, Turlock and Pleasanton as interim storage facilities
  
• 5-29-1992 Cal Senate approves Dr. Coye as head of DHS after with stipulation of Ward Valley hearings;
  
• 4-6-1992 State Controller Gray Davis released his long-awaited liability study on Ward Valley;
  
• 4-9-1992 Adjudicatory hearing as a precondition to the State Senate's confirmation of Russell Gould as Secretary for Health and Welfare. Capitol observers characterized this victory as unprecedented in California legislative history!
  
• 5-27-1992 The California Assembly passed AB 3811 that requires adjudicatory hearings at Ward Valley; AB 3798 that recapture and reuse of tritium and AB 2279 full disclosure of dump operators' record; permanent generator title and liability for the waste, including $300 million of insurance coverage;
  
• July 1992 The U.S. Supreme Court throws out the take title clause of the LLRWPA;
  
• 10-2-1992 AB-2500 vetoed by governor Wilson;
  
• December 1992 Members of the Ward Valley Coalition travel to speak with Mexican officials about Ward Valley;
  
• January 1993 LLRWPA Milestone--producers home state to take title and responsibility of all and waste entering 3 dumps. Dumps allowed to refuse waste from outside states.
  
• 01-7-1993 In an extraordinary dodge of environmental review on Thursday, Interior Secretary Manuel Lujan (at Wilson's request) ordered the Bureau of Land Management to immediately transfer the land also quashing the mailing of the EIS;
  
• 01-19-1993 A federal judge blocks the BIA from transfering land; (NEPA) lawsuit filed by opponents;
  
• 02-19-1993 The Interior Department rescinded an 11th-hour decision by the Bush administration that would have transferred Ward Valley;
  
• 04-1-1993 UCSF Considers Storing Waste in S.F. Mission District;
  
• April 1993 The city and the county of San Bernardino passed resolutions opposing the Ward Valley dump;
  
• April 1993 The California State Democratic Party passed resolution opposing Ward Valley;
  
• April 1993 NRC Commissioner thinks the first of the 3 waste dumps to open will be Nationalized;
  
• April 1993 Sher's revitalized liability bill, AB 437, would set liability limits and, hold the generators of radioactive waste liable for the wastes;
  
• April 1993 The Katz's tritium recovery bill, also passed and was vetoed by the Governor , has been re-introduced Debra Bowen as AB 1786,
  
• April 1993 Pete Wilson filled two vacant positions on the Southwest Compact with members of the California Radiation Forum;
  
• 04-12-1993 The State Natural Resources Committee, chaired by Byron Sher called Molly Coye to explain the behavior of the agency and the veto of AB 2500;
  
• 05-7-1993 California-- Gov. Pete Wilson announces plan to license Ward Valley without safety hearings within 30 days;
  
• 05-7-1993 The 3rd District Court of Appeal ruled that the state isn't required judicial hearings;
  
• 05-20-1993 Gray Davis letter requesting additional adjudicatory hearings for Ward Valley;
  
• 06-11-1993 BLM Meeting in Riverside to discuss their blueprint for desert land use.
  
• June 1993 USGS staff scientist send memo to Babbitt on dangers to Colorado River;
  
• 08-19-1993 Adjudicatory hearing set for Sept-October 93;
  
• 09-15-1993 U.S. Fish & Wildlife proposes critical habitat for Desert Tortoise;
  
• 10-6-1993 Hearings by The U.S. Fish and Wildlife on critical habitat for the Mojave population of the desert tortoise held in Riverside, Ca.
  
• 12-8-1993 Media covers story of report by USGS scientists on waste streams reaching the Colorado River; (note scientists were later cut from USGS staff)
  
• 05-4-1994 Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Robert H. O'Brien suspends Ward Valley license;
  
• 05-16-1994 Actor joins tribe's campaign to stop project near Colorado River;
  
• 07-19-1994 Sen. Feinstein comes out against Sen. Johnston's S-2151 -- Ward Valley Transfer, killing the bill;
  
• 02-21-1995 Activists claim NAS panel has history of pro-nuclear bias;
  
• 04-17-1995 A report from a research scientist with the Interior Department's National Biological Service, tortoises in one of the proposed relocation areas have been dying from a respiratory disease. The study also found that a "significant die-off" of tortoises has occurred in Ward Valley from unknown causes;
  
• 04-24-1995 Media brings up questions about panel's impartiality;
  
• 05-11-1995 NAS votes to okay dump, but dissent on Ward Valley first ever;
  
• 05-26-1995 Gov.Wilson agreed in a letter he sent to Babbitt;
  
• 05-27-1995 Gov. Wilson said he will ask Congress to intervene unless the federal government turns over land for the Ward Valley nuclear waste dump;
  
• 05-31-1995 Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt transfers Ward Valley with conditions;
  
• 06-02-1995 Wilson balks at Babbitt's conditions, which include continued federal oversight, a limit on plutonium, and additional safety procedures;
  
• 06-16-1995 Media article claims Barnwell dump's reopening could hinder state plan;
  
• 09-19-1995 Congressional Bill introduced to unconditionally transfer land;
  
• 10-10-1995 Ward Valley Protest held by activists from across state. Many stay for a sitin at the site;
  
• 10-18-1995 Biotech industry floods media with pro-dump PR blitz;
  
• 10-20-1995 Interior Department refuses land transfer unless state agrees to stick with federal safeguards (media release);
  
• 10-20-1995 Dept. of Interior Deputy Sect. Garamendi announced the transfer of land with enforceable protections or conditions; more bills awaiting House if republican budget tactics fail;
  
• 10-31-1995 An April 1994 report finding deep migration of tritium at the Beatty site that was withheld from NAS panel is released.
  
• 12-11-1995 The media mentions Clinton claim that he vetoed the budget due to Ward Valley;
  
• 12-14-1995 Native American elders hold vigil Los Angeles Federal Building;
  
• January 1996 LLRWPA Milestone--All states take responsibility of its wastes
  
• 01-18-1996 State Supreme Court Denies Review of Approval of Nuclear Waste Dump;
  
• 02-14-1996 U.S. Interior orders more testing for Ward Valley;
  
• 02-15-1996 Clinton it will not transfer land for the dump in Ward Valley to California until new studies of radioactive tritium movement and environmental issues are complete. Recent findings of tritium in soil below and ground water near a radioactive waste dump, which operated from 1962 through 1992 in Beatty, Nev., led to the administration's decision;
  
• 02-16-1996 Major article bringing out U.S. Ecology released to media;
  
• 02-17-1996 Gov. Wilson warns U.S. he will turn state burden of wastes over to the federal government, claiming additional year would undermine the national strategy for disposing of n-waste;
  
• 03-8-1996 Health and Welfare Chief Demands Ward Valley Transfer;
  
• 03-13-1996 The U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee voted Wednesday to direct the Interior Department to transfer federal land in the Southern California desert to the state for construction of a low-level nuclear waste site at Ward Valley;
  

THE BATTLE CONTINUES: