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For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
February 1, 2001

Text of a Letter from the President to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President of the Senate

January 31, 2001

Dear Mr. Speaker:  (Dear Mr. President:)

Consistent with section 6001(a) of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) (the "Act"), as amended, 42 U.S.C. 6961(a), notification is hereby given that on September 19, 2000, President Clinton issued Presidential Determination 2000-30 (copy attached) and thereby exercised his authority to grant certain exemptions under section 6001(a) of the Act. Presidential Determination 2000-30 exempted the United States Air Force's operating location near Groom Lake, Nevada, from any Federal, State, interstate, or local hazardous or solid waste laws that would require the disclosure of classified information concerning that operating location to unauthorized persons.  Information concerning activities at the operating location near Groom Lake has been properly determined to be classified and its disclosure would be harmful to national security.  Continued protection of this information is, therefore, in the paramount interest of the United States.

The determination was not intended to imply that, in the absence of a Presidential exemption, RCRA or any other provision of law permits or requires the disclosure of classified information to unauthorized persons. The determination also was not intended to limit the applicability or enforcement of any requirement of law applicable to the Air Force's operating location near Groom Lake except those provisions, if any, that would require the disclosure of classified information.

                                Sincerely,

                                GEORGE W. BUSH

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