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HomeMy WebLinkAboutC.054.93008_1137 (2)690 MAC CORMAC: May I clarify that? Those that pertain to the permitting process now on the books that allowed US Ecology apply for an incinerator at Bladen County. Those do not pertain to the low-level radioactive waste ----- proposed by the Southeast Compact. There will be an entire review of that, it will take place within a year or 15 months. There is a statute on the books that allows any vendor to come into North Carolina to apply for a license to dispose of low-level radioactive waste materials. That's what US Ecology applied for in Bladen County, and it was turned down by NRCD. So that's what those hearings were on; those were not on what we've been talking about tonight. QUESTION. MAC CORMAC: First we have to find out if we're in the compact or are we out. How are we going to dispose of it? I'd love to have incinerator as Jess suggests. I think Jess is on the right track on that, but I can't answer those questions; the legislature has to answer those questions. QUESTION: Do mean whether we are in the compact or not? MAC CORMAC: I have no idea. The Legislature meets on February 9th, and it adjourns sometime in -------- I presume sometime during that period they will make a decision. If they don't make a decision, we are in de facto. The only decision they can make is to pull us out. You understand that? We are now in because they put us in. There is a bill the Joe Maverettic Bill, to withdraw, which has been considered by the Joint --------, chaired Lewis Miller and Joe Johnson, Senator Johnson and Representative Miller. ARNOLD SOUTHER: I have not read the resolution (sic) of the county. I have just heard that there's a $5 million fee. I hate to see it come to Iredell County. I'm not concerned about me, but I'm concerned about generations to come. These hearings are not advertised very clearly. He thinks they should be headlines when they are important issues such as these. I have talked to one congressman and one state legislator, and they are very ignorant on this thing. They all think there is a few booties and clothes going in this thing. I've had them tell me that I didn't know what I was talking about when I told them some of this stuff that was going in this nuclear waste had 5,000 year life. I think that information should be supplied to all our state legislators in plain terms, especially to our state legislators and also to our congressmen, because they don't know either. MAC CORMAC: May I clarify that? Jess Riley's point said that the definition was wrong and some of those may go in there. Presently almost none do with 5,000 year half-lives. You're absolutely right. We should rewrite the legislation so that can't happen. You're also right, sir, that I should do as good a job as I can to educate Congressmen and State Senators, etc. We're going to produce a video-tape. The video-tape is not going to be a snow job; it's going to say what actually is going on. Mr. Hedrick is also right. You ought to exert pressure and Jess ought to, too, to get these specs written in such a way that the low-level things don't contain 5,000 year half-lives. They presently don't, but they could. That's his point that he makes strongly. They don't now, but the could. The radiation protection rule is written so that they don't. So it isn't the case that they do now, but they could. Again, we need more communication of these issues and more actual discussion. QUESTION. (Not clear) MAC CORMAC: Responds. QUESTION. (Not clear) MAC CORMAC: Again, let me come back and say to you, that's where we should change the regula- tions; that's where we should be more specific. Again, all the input you are giving me is very desirable from that respect. You realize I am not a legislator; I'm the Governor's aid. I will do everything in my power to make it safe, to get rid of the dangerous stuff. I'd love to go Jess Riley's route and incincerate. I wrote him a letter to that effect. I read the letter the Governor wrote to him. We looked at it together. We respect his position. But there are counter ---forces among the legislators, also. It is the democratic process. They write the legislation. I try to tell them how to write it; Jess tries to tell them how to write it; you try to tell them how to write it; and they often comprise. We all know that. On some issues we ought not to compromise certain things. I agree with you on the 5,000 year half-life. I happen to agree personally. I think that's right, and as a government official, I'll do everything I can to get it changed. SOUTHER: One thing I want to say. If the legislators have to read massive amounts of mate- rials, so their aids do it, so this thing ought to be simplified on how much dangerous stuff goes into it, and how much stuff that is not dangerous goes into it. MAC CORMAC: We agree. The Governor and I agree. But remember, this Governor has no veto, and this Governor and 1, he's a Republican and I'm a Democrat. We both are non-partisan on the issue. (Not clear.) We go to the General Assembly; we try to get them to write the enabling legislation. Going to Congress is even more difficult, and going to NRC, as Jess well knows, is well nigh impossible. HEDRICK: The point we're trying to make, obviously, is that it behooves us all to make sure ,