PRINTER'S NO. 3392
No. 454 Session of 2002
INTRODUCED BY PERZEL, DeWEESE, BUNT, CIVERA, L. I. COHEN,
CORNELL, DAILEY, FICHTER, FLICK, GODSHALL, HERSHEY, LEH,
MARKOSEK, MAYERNIK, McGILL, McNAUGHTON, O'BRIEN, RAYMOND,
ROSS, RUBLEY, RYAN, SAYLOR, STETLER, E. Z. TAYLOR, TRELLO,
TULLI AND WILT, MARCH 12, 2002
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON RULES, MARCH 12, 2002
A RESOLUTION
1 Urging the Congress of the United States to sustain the
2 President's affirmative decision on the United States
3 Department of Energy's recommendation on a Federal repository
4 for used nuclear fuel at Yucca Mountain, Nevada.
5 WHEREAS, In order to secure a safe and prosperous future for
6 its citizens, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania must maintain a
7 broad portfolio of energy supply options to hedge against fuel
8 price fluctuations, fuel shortages and import disruptions; and
9 WHEREAS, Pennsylvania's nine nuclear power reactors have
10 proven to be reliable sources of electricity to Pennsylvania
11 citizens and businesses, producing 36% of the electricity
12 generated in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; and
13 WHEREAS, Nuclear power prevents the release of millions of
14 tons of air pollutants and greenhouse gasses, thus being
15 critical for compliance with air quality laws and regulations;
16 and
17 WHEREAS, Congress enacted the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of
1 1982 and directed the Department of Energy to establish a
2 program for the management of the nation's high-level waste,
3 including used nuclear fuel, and for its permanent disposal in a
4 deep geologic repository; and
5 WHEREAS, More than $7 billion has been spent on scientific
6 testing and studies of Yucca Mountain, Nevada, showing that the
7 proposed site is an ideal repository to safely contain the
8 nation's used nuclear fuel, with a capacity sufficient to meet
9 all foreseeable storage needs; and
10 WHEREAS, Studies of Yucca Mountain have yielded the
11 scientific information necessary for a decision by the United
12 States Secretary of Energy that there are no technical or
13 scientific issues to prevent Yucca Mountain from serving as a
14 permanent repository and clearly support the recommendation by
15 the Secretary to the President of the United States to proceed
16 on licensing a permanent repository at Yucca Mountain; and
17 WHEREAS, Since 1983, consumers of electricity from the
18 Commonwealth of Pennsylvania have committed nearly $1.5 billion
19 to the Federal Nuclear Waste Fund to finance site assessment and
20 nuclear waste management; therefore be it
21 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the
22 Commonwealth of Pennsylvania urge Congress to sustain the
23 President's affirmative decision on Yucca Mountain's suitability
24 as a permanent Federal repository for used nuclear fuel; and be
25 it further
26 RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to
27 the President and Vice President of the United States, to the
28 Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, to each
29 member of Congress from Pennsylvania and to the United States
30 Secretary of Energy.
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