H*3643 Resolution, By W.D. Keyserling, Allison, J.J. Bailey, B.O. Baker, 
R.A. Barber, Breeland, J. Brown, A.W. Byrd, Cato, H.H. Clyborne, R.S. Corning, 
Davenport, L.O. Graham, H.M. Hallman, Harrell, P.B. Harris, Harrison, Haskins, 
D.N. Holt, T.E. Huff, H.G. Hutson, Inabinett, Lanford, Law, Littlejohn, Quinn, 
Richardson, Robinson, T.F. Rogers, Scott, J.S. Shissias, Simrill, D. Smith, 
J.J. Snow, Stille, P.H. Thomas, Townsend, Trotter, Vaughn, Walker, C.C. Wells, 
Wilkins and Witherspoon
 A House Resolution memorializing the Congress of the United States to refrain
 from any development of the Savannah River site as temporary storage site for
 spent nuclear fuel rods from other states.

   03/04/93  House  Introduced HJ-38
   03/04/93  House  Referred to Committee on Invitations and Memorial
                     Resolutions HJ-38
   03/11/93  House  Committee report: Favorable Invitations and
                     Memorial Resolutions HJ-5
   03/30/93  House  Adopted HJ-16

March 11, 1993

H. 3643

Introduced by REPS. Keyserling, Richardson, Cato, Clyborne, Vaughn, Barber, Hutson, D. Smith, Thomas, Snow, Simrill, Scott, Corning, Quinn, Hallman, Breeland, Inabinett, Rogers, Townsend, Shissias, Stille, Byrd, Holt, P. Harris, Harrison, Wilkins, Law, Robinson, Haskins, Huff, Walker, Littlejohn, Allison, Graham, J. Bailey, Wells, Trotter, Davenport, Baker, Witherspoon, Lanford, Harrell and J. Brown

S. Printed 3/11/93--H.

Read the first time March 4, 1993.

To whom was referred a House Resolution (H. 3643), memorializing the Congress of the United States to refrain from any development of the Savannah River site as a temporary storage site, etc., respectfully

That they have duly and carefully considered the same, and recommend that the same do pass:

DEWITT WILLIAMS, for Committee.

A HOUSE RESOLUTION

MEMORIALIZING THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES TO REFRAIN FROM ANY DEVELOPMENT OF THE SAVANNAH RIVER SITE AS A TEMPORARY STORAGE SITE FOR SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL RODS FROM OTHER STATES.

Whereas, in 1982, Congress enacted the Nuclear Waste Policy Act governing the storage and disposal of the nation's commercial spent nuclear fuel rods and high-level nuclear waste from the production of nuclear weapons; and

Whereas, Congress' original goal of having a permanent repository for high-level nuclear waste in place by l998 clearly will not be met and now the new target date of 20l0 is in question; and

Whereas, until a permanent repository is sited and operational, the Department of Energy is seeking temporary storage sites for this high-level waste; and

Whereas, dry cask storage technology allows high-level waste to be stored where it is generated and thus precludes the need for any monitored retrievable storage; and

Whereas, monitored retrievable storage requires unnecessary transport of high-level nuclear waste; and

Whereas, the Nuclear Waste Policy Act directed the Department of Energy to complete a study of the need for and feasibility of a monitored retrievable storage (MRS) facility for spent fuel from nuclear power plants and to submit to Congress a proposal for the construction of one or more MRS facilities; and

Whereas, the Department of Energy selected Oak Ridge, Tennessee, as a MRS site but subsequently Congress specifically directed the Department of Energy not to site the MRS in Tennessee; and

Whereas, the chemical separation process conducted at the Savannah River Site (SRS) to extract uranium and plutonium from irradiated reactor fuel and targets, which began forty years ago, has already resulted in the storage of thirty-three million gallons of highly radioactive liquid waste in South Carolina which originally was to remain in South Carolina for only ten years causing a serious environmental hazard; and

Whereas, the dedicated citizens of South Carolina have struggled to keep South Carolina from being a further dumping ground for other states' waste; and

Whereas, the Governor of South Carolina in his l993 State of the State Address firmly stated that the Savannah River Site must not be an option for the siting of a temporary storage facility for high-level waste. Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives:

That by this resolution, the House of Representatives of the State of South Carolina respectfully memorializes the Congress of the United States to support South Carolina's effort to defeat any movement to store high-level nuclear waste from all over the United States in a temporary monitored retrievable storage facility at the Savannah River Site.

Be it further resolved that copies of this resolution be forwarded to the South Carolina Congressional Delegation, to the Clerk of the United States House of Representatives, to the President of the United States Senate, and to the Secretary of the Department of Energy.