Daniel Schaefer: “I truly thank the gentleman from New Mexico, and it has been a great pleasure working with him on this particular…”

“I truly thank the gentleman from New Mexico, and it has been a great pleasure working with him on this particular situation. I do appreciate his concerns. A timely opening of WIPP is very important. It is equally critical that the facility opens and operates in a very safe manner. First, the 1997 opening date is not a hard, statutory requirement, but is contained in a sense of Congress statement. Both EPA and DOE feel that this date is achievable. Obviously the health and safety issues are very, very important, and language has been included to reflect that the site should meet all applicable health and safety standards before disposal operations commence. This subtitle closely mirrors legislation already approved by the full Committee on Commerce and preserves a strong regulatory role for EPA at WIPP. The facility is also regulated by several other entities, including the State of New Mexico. The combination of these different regulators provides for a broad oversight and regulatory base. Finally, I can understand the gentleman's concerns about the no-migration standard. As he knows, I have always felt that the Federal Government should be held to the same environmental standards accepted by any other entity in America. This legislation does meet that test. There will be no loss of environmental protection, no impact on human health and safety, and no reduction of the overall safety standards under this language.”