[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 37, Number 5 (Monday, February 5, 2001)]
[Page 245]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Letter to Congressional Leaders on the United States Air Force Operating 
Location Near Groom Lake, Nevada

January 31, 2001

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 19, 2000, President 
Clinton issued Presidential Determination 2000-30 (copy attached) and 
thereby exercised his authority to grant certain exemptions under 
section 6001(a) of the Act.
    Presidential Determination 2000-30 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 would 
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 would require the disclosure of classified information.
     Sincerely,
                                                George W. Bush

Note: Identical letters were sent to J. Dennis Hastert, Speaker of the 
House of Representatives, and Richard B. Cheney, President of the 
Senate. This letter was released by the Office of the Press Secretary on 
February 1.