California biotech industry unites in support of Ward Valley land transfer legislation; calls upon Congress to break federal road block.

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 18, 1995--California's biotechnology industry is uniting forces in a statewide show of support for federal legislation to transfer federal property to California for development of the Ward Valley low-level radioactive waste (LLRW) disposal project.

Since September, following introduction of H.R. 2334 by Congressman Brian Bilbray (R-Imperial Beach) to conclude the land transfer, biotechnology industry leaders have expressed strong support to their federal representatives.

Today, the group pledged their continuing efforts to bypass unnecessary political and bureaucratic delays through the efforts of their elected representatives.

The industry's position is reflected in a series of letters to members of the California delegation. In an Oct. 2 letter to Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Mary Walker, co-chair of BIOCOM/San Diego's environmental committee, expressed BIOCOM's frustration with the Interior Department's inability to reach an agreement with the state to transfer the Ward Valley land, necessitating legislation.

"...Secretary Babbitt has left the state of California with no reasonable option but to terminate negotiations with Interior and seek a legislative cure. Subsequent Interior press statements declaring that the state cannot be trusted confirm that the federal bureaucracy is truly out of control," said Walker.

Other biotechnology groups, including Orange County's Life Sciences Industry Council (LINC) and Northern California's Bay Area Bioscience Center also have demonstrated support for a legislative solution to the land transfer impasse.

In a letter commending Bilbray, Ron Coelyn, president of LINC concluded, "...Without legislation, it is now clear that Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt will continue seeking an inappropriate oversight role by his department as a condition of what should be a straightforward land conveyance action. Passage of legislation would bring the Interior Department's misdirected intrusion to an end..."

Fred Dorey, president of the Bay Area Bioscience Center has expressed similar support to Sen. Feinstein, "California cannot afford to lose its biotechnology industry to neighboring states with disposal services. With that in mind, your support is needed now to help proceed with timely development of the Ward Valley disposal facility," said Dorey.

The Ward Valley project is California's response to federal law requiring states to be responsible for the safe management of LLRW. In September 1993, after more than 10 years of state effort, the California Department of Health Services (DHS) issued a license for development of the facility.

The California Second District Court of Appeal recently upheld the license in a strongly worded opinion that rejected virtually all claims by project opponents that the site could not perform safely. In May, a National Academy of Sciences (NAS) panel released a report on the Ward Valley site, confirming that groundwater contamination is highly unlikely and that the Colorado River will not be impacted.

Facility construction cannot begin until federal land necessary for the project is sold to the state. Sec. Babbitt has refused to transfer the property without a continuing right by the Department of Interior to challenge the state's regulatory decisions in court.

Legislation now before Congress would transfer the land directly to California. Its passage into law would also limit future lawsuits, which have and would continue to create unnecessary project delays and will increase disposal costs for the biotechnology industry.

In statements earlier today, Kenneth Widder, M.D., chairman of BIOCOM/San Diego, and also chairman of a La Jolla-based Molecular Biosystems Inc. declared, "The continuing stall by Secretary Babbitt has become intolerable. It is time for Congress to come to California's relief."

Walker, a former deputy solicitor at Interior, added that, "Interior clearly knows nothing about radiation safety and has no business insisting on a future role."

There are more than 2,000 licensed users of radioactive material in the state of California. These organizations include hospitals, universities, medical research facilities and biotechnology companies.

Due to delays in development of the Ward Valley facility, LLRW now accumulates where it is produced in hundreds of urban locations throughout the state; causing unnecessary expenses and research disruption throughout California's biotechnology industry.

For additional regional information about the Ward Valley project, and the federal land transfer, please contact Mary Walker, BIOCOM/San Diego at 619/234-1966; Renee Wagner, LINC (Orange County and Los Angeles) at 714/588-8823; and Fred Dorey, Bay Area Bioscience Center (San Francisco Bay Area) at 510/874-1464.

CONTACT: BIOCOM/San Diego

Ann Randolph, 619/455-0300