    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1996, Book I)]
    [January 30, 1996]
    [Pages 117-118]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Letter to Congressional Leaders on the United States Air Force Operating
    Location Near Groom Lake, Nevada
    January 30, 1996

    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 29, 1995, I issued
    Presidential Determination 95-45 (copy attached) and thereby exercised
    the authority to grant certain exemptions under section 6001(a) of the
    Act.
        Presidential Determination No. 95-45 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 might
    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, but rather to eliminate any potential uncertainty arising from
    a decision in pending litigation, Kasza v. Browner (D. Nev. CV-S-94-795-
    PMP). The Determination also was not intended to limit the applicability
    or enforcement of any require-

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    ment 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,

                                                          William J. Clinton

    Note: Identical letters were sent to Newt Gingrich, Speaker of the House
    of Representatives, and Albert Gore, Jr., President of the Senate. This
    letter was released by the Office of the Press Secretary on January 31.
    The Presidential determination of September 29, 1995, was published in
    the Federal Register at 60 FR 52823.