    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2002, Book I)]
    [January 30, 2002]
    [Pages 143-144]
    [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, 2002

    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 18, 2001, I issued
    Presidential Determination 2001-27 (copy attached) and thereby exercised
    the authority to grant certain exemptions under section 6001(a) of the
    Act.
        Presidential Determination 2001-27 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. 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 might require the disclosure of classified information.
             Sincerely,

                                                              George W. Bush

    [[Page 144]]

    Note: Letters were sent to J. Dennis Hastert, Speaker of the House of
    Representatives, and Richard B. Cheney, President of the Senate. An
    original was not available for verification of the content of this
    letter.