    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2004, Book I)]
    [January 28, 2004]
    [Pages 151-152]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Message to the Congress on the United States Air Force Operating
    Location Near Groom Lake, Nevada
    January 28, 2004

    To the Congress of the United States:
        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 16, 2003, I issued
    Presidential Determination 2003-39 (copy enclosed) and thereby exercised
    the authority to grant certain exemptions under section 6001(a) of the
    Act.
        Presidential Determination 2003-39 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

    [[Page 152]]

    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.

                                                              George W. Bush

    The White House,

    January 28, 2004.