About State and Tribal Government Working Group (STGWG)

In April 1989, ten governors wrote a letter to then-Secretary of Energy Watkins, to express their concerns regarding the management, cleanup, and disposal of radioactive and hazardous chemical wastes at Department of Energy (DOE) facilities within or adjacent to their states boundaries.

In May 1989, then-Secretary of Energy Watkins, invited each governor to appoint a representative to participate in the planning process for the Department's Five-Year Plan through membership in a State and Tribal Government Working Group (STGWG). The Secretary also invited representatives from the Yakama Indian Nation, the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes, the National Governors' Association, the National Conference of State Legislatures, and the National Association of Attorneys General to participate. STGWG first met in June 1989.

The Department of Energy provides funding for a single representative from each affected State and Tribe to participate in the meetings of the STGWG. In addition, DOE funds technical, administrative, and facilitation support to this body. The Department is funding STGWG support and participation through a cooperative agreement with the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL).