b'C H A P T E R 21B Y T H E E N D O F T H I S D E C A D Enized labor, the East Idaho Nuclear The Commission drafted and adoptedIndustry Council (EINIC), the Idaho an interim report and decided to put itFarm Bureau, a newspaper editor from before the public in a series of six pub-Burley, executives from Idaho Power lic hearings around the state. VariousCompany and Boise Cascade, and oth- interest groups began to take positionsers. Mike Christie, the states radiation on both sides regarding the storageexpert, was an ad hocmember. 16 vault proposal. The unions were for it,environmentalists were not, potatoFrank K. Pittman, head of AEC growers and water users opposed it, theHeadquarters Division of Waste Idaho Falls City Council favored it. 18 In 1975, the Site was designated as a NationalManagement and Transportation, met Environmental Research Park (NERP). All landswith the Commission during its October In its final report, the Commissions within the Site boundaries are a protected outdoormeeting to discuss the proposal. But it first comment was to affirm its belief laboratory where scientists from the Department ofwas the removal of existing waste that that present waste management prac- Energy, other federal and state agencies, universitieswas on the minds of the Commission, tices at the Site were ostensibly safe and private research foundations conduct ecologicaland Pittman discussed it freely: and responsible; they posed no threat to studies. The Idaho NERP, covering some 570,000the environment. After that, the recom- acres, is the largest undisturbed area of sagebrushPittman: .it is logical to store mendations were of a sufficiently vegetation in the Intermountain West. The NERP hastransuranic waste here because of the innocuous nature that a majority could a large number of paleontological, historic, andtechnical know-how. agree. The Commission declined to prehistoric archaeological sites. It also has over 400endorse the expansion of the NRTS for species of plants and a wide variety of animal life.Wilson: As far as Idaho, we have been storing commercial spent fuel because Common reptiles, fish, raptors, and over 40 mammalgiven the feeling that the Governor andthe draft EIS was inadequate. It sug- species, including elk, deer, moose and, mostSenator Church feel that transuranic gested that commercial spent fuel noticeably, pronghorn antelope, can be found here.waste presently stored in Idaho willstart to be moved by the end of thedecade.Pittman: [An AEC] letter to SenatorChurch indicated that material buriedin Idaho would start to be moved outbut it is not feasible. Is your worryabout material buried prior to the pre -sent material? If we dig up old materi -al, an environmental impact study willhave to be made to see if it could betaken out safely.Wilson: The Governors and SenatorChurchs concern is based on the loca -tion of our aquifer. The concern cer -tainly includes people other than IdahoFalls and Arco.17INEEL 91-35-8-1209'