Senate Joint Resolution No. 11–Senators Porter, Titus, Washington, Care, O’Connell, Rawson, Amodei, Coffin, James, McGinness, Rhoads, Shaffer and Wiener

 

March 15, 2001

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Joint Sponsor: Assemblyman Perkins

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Referred to Committee on Transportation

 

SUMMARY—Urges Congress to direct appropriate federal agencies to prepare environmental impact statement relating to transportation of nuclear waste materials to Yucca Mountain. (BDR R‑1244)

 

FISCAL NOTE:            Effect on Local Government: No.

                     Effect on the State: No.

 

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EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new; matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted.

 

Senate Joint RESOLUTION—Urging Congress to direct the appropriate federal agencies to prepare an environmental impact statement relating to the transportation of nuclear waste materials to Yucca Mountain.

 

1-1    Whereas, The Nevada Legislature and an overwhelming majority of

1-2  the residents of Nevada adamantly and unyieldingly oppose the permanent

1-3  storage of high-level radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel at the

1-4  proposed high-level radioactive waste repository at Yucca Mountain,

1-5  Nevada; and

1-6    Whereas, In conducting the work relating to site suitability, the United

1-7  States Department of Energy has issued the Yucca Mountain Draft

1-8  Environmental Impact Statement for review and comment by the general

1-9  public and governmental agencies; and

1-10    Whereas, A review of the Yucca Mountain Draft Environmental

1-11  Impact Statement performed by the Nevada Agency for Nuclear Projects

1-12  finds that the analysis for transporting nuclear waste to Yucca Mountain,

1-13  Nevada, from numerous sites throughout the nation is severely deficient;

1-14  and

1-15    Whereas, Despite the identification by the Nevada Agency for Nuclear

1-16  Projects of serious flaws in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement,

1-17  which the Legislature and the residents of Nevada believe disqualify Yucca

1-18  Mountain as a repository site, the United States Department of Energy

2-1  continues with site characterization studies to justify the suitability of this

2-2  unsatisfactory site; and

2-3    Whereas, If the study of the environmental impact were addressed

2-4  properly, it would provide a preponderance of evidence that, as we believe

2-5  in Nevada, the shipment of this highly dangerous material through 43 states

2-6  to Nevada would result in significantly more harm to the nation’s health

2-7  and welfare than any benefits derived from the proposed Yucca Mountain

2-8  repository; and

2-9    Whereas, Before a Yucca Mountain site recommendation is

2-10  considered by the Secretary of Energy and possibly forwarded to the

2-11  President and Congress, it is critical that the realistic short-term and

2-12  cumulative dangers to public health and welfare from shipping 77,000 tons

2-13  of highly radioactive waste across the nation over a 28-year shipping

2-14  period be made known to the estimated 53 million residents of the United

2-15  States who may be placed in harm’s way from this ill-conceived project;

2-16  now, therefore, be it

2-17    Resolved by the Senate and Assembly of the State of Nevada,

2-18  Jointly, That the Senate and Assembly of the State of Nevada strongly

2-19  urge Congress to direct the appropriate federal agencies, the Department of

2-20  Energy, Department of Transportation, Nuclear Regulatory Commission

2-21  and Environmental Protection Agency, to prepare an environmental impact

2-22  statement relating to the potential highway routes and railroad routes for

2-23  the transportation of nuclear waste to provide a realistic review and

2-24  analysis of the resulting health hazards to the general public and of the

2-25  environmental impact along those specific transportation corridors under

2-26  consideration; and be it further

2-27    Resolved, That the environmental impact statement include, without

2-28  limitation:

2-29    1.  The possible impact that transporting high-level radioactive waste

2-30  along the potential highway routes and railroad routes will have on persons

2-31  who reside along the proposed routes;

2-32    2.  The number of schools that will be affected and the manner in

2-33  which they will be affected;

2-34    3.  The manner in which water systems will be affected; and

2-35    4.  A descriptive list of the agencies that will be responsible for

2-36  handling spills; and be it further

2-37    Resolved, That the results of the requested federal environmental

2-38  impact statement be widely distributed and that a sufficient number of

2-39  public hearings be conducted at appropriate locations along the designated

2-40  routes to ensure that the affected populations are fully informed of the

2-41  impact that may result from the proposed campaign to transport a high

2-42  volume of nuclear waste over the course of decades; and be it further

2-43    Resolved, That the environmental impact statement for the

2-44  transportation corridors be completed and included with a Yucca Mountain

2-45  site recommendation report from the United States Department of Energy

2-46  to the President, and by the President to Congress; and be it further

 

 

3-1    Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate prepare and transmit a copy

3-2  of this resolution to the Vice President of the United States as the presiding

3-3  officer of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and each

3-4  member of the Nevada Congressional Delegation; and be it further

3-5    Resolved, That this resolution becomes effective upon passage.

 

3-6  H