Whereas, In 1991, the Midwest Compact Commission (hereafter, "the Commission") designated the State of Ohio, the member state projected to generate the largest amount of low-level radioactive waste in the Midwest Compact, as the host state for the first regional disposal facility; and

Whereas, Since its designation as host state, Ohio has acted in good faith in performance of its host state obligation, but has not yet fulfilled that obligation by siting, constructing, and operating a regional disposal facility; and

Whereas, Utility, medical, academic, industry, and government generators of low-level radioactive waste in the Midwest Compact have successfully instituted waste management and treatment practices that continue to dramatically reduce the amount of waste annually shipped to disposal facilities (e.g., during the last ten years Midwest Compact waste has decreased from a high of 114,700 cubic feet in 1989, to a low of 15,900 cubic feet in 1995, and to 20,000 cubic feet in 1996); and

Whereas, In other host states that have reached the licensing stage, the estimated cost of new disposal facilities has risen significantly and now ranges between $105 to $216 million, exclusive of operating costs; and

Whereas, Contrary to expectations, Midwest Compact generators currently have access to existing low-level radioactive waste disposal facilities, and these facilities appear to have sufficient capacity to accept waste for a lengthy, but indefinite, period of time; and

Whereas, The Commission stands at a critical point immediately prior to the commitment of considerable funds to a site selection process in Ohio; and

Whereas, The combined effects of the decline in waste disposal volumes, the continued access to existing disposal facilities, and the high cost of new disposal facilities, coupled with the impending commitment of funds to a site selection process in Ohio, warrant Commission reconsideration of the need to proceed with the lengthy and difficult task of developing a regional disposal facility and the need for the Commission to expend large amounts of money for such a facility;

Resolved, The Commission determines that development activities for a regional disposal facility for low-level radioactive waste should immediately and indefinitely cease; and

Resolved, The Commission revokes all previous resolutions that designated, selected, or confirmed host states for the first regional disposal facility; and

Resolved, The Commission will continue to provide reasonable funding for the actual, necessary expenditures of the Ohio Low-Level Radioactive Waste Facility Development Authority and the Ohio Department of Health's Agreement State Program through September 30, 1997; and

Resolved, The Commission commends Ohio Governor George Voinovich and his staff; the Ohio General Assembly and its leadership; Senator Gary Suhadolnik and Representative Bill Schuck and their staff; members of the Senate and House Committees that acted on the 1995 enabling legislation; Roger Suppes, Ohio's Commissioner and Chief of the Bureau of Radiation Protection at the Department of Health; the staff of the Bureau; Jane Harf, Alternate Ohio Commissioner and Executive Director of the Ohio Low-Level Radioactive Waste Facility Development Authority; the staff of the Authority; the Ohio Low-Level Radioactive Waste Facility Development Authority Board and its Chairman, Bob Teater; and many other Ohio citizens for their support, contributions, and commitment to this process and for their responsible actions on behalf of the Midwest Compact's member states and generators.

Adopted June 26, 1997.