Bill 4520

                    Current Status

Bill Number:                       4520
Type of Legislation:               Concurrent Resolution CR
Introducing Body:                  House
Introduced Date:                   19980128
Primary Sponsor:                   Baxley
All Sponsors:                      Baxley, Neilson, Kelley,
                                   J. Hines, Lanford, Wilder, Law,
                                   Seithel, Keegan, Battle, M. Hines,
                                   Stoddard, McMaster, Miller, Quinn,
                                   Littlejohn, Sandifer, Breeland,
                                   Delleney, McMahand, F. Smith,
                                   Vaughn, Riser, Mack and Jennings
                                   
Drafted Document Number:           7137ac.98
Residing Body:                     House
Current Committee:                 Invitations and Memorial
                                   Resolutions Committee 24 HIMR
Subject:                           Nuclear waste, Congress
                                   requests to adopt legislation to
                                   establish Nuclear Waste Disposal
                                   Program, Hazardous waste

Body    Date      Action Description                       Com     Leg Involved
______  ________  _______________________________________  _______ ____________

House   19980128  Introduced, referred to Committee        24 HIMR

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

URGING THE 105TH CONGRESS TO ADOPT LEGISLATION TO ESTABLISH AN INTEGRATED NUCLEAR WASTE DISPOSAL PROGRAM.

Whereas, the United States Congress passed the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 in order to provide for the management and permanent disposal of commercially generated spent nuclear fuel; and

Whereas, the act, including amendments, unconditionally directs the United States Department of Energy to develop the nuclear waste management and disposal program to begin accepting spent nuclear fuel no later than January 31, 1998; and

Whereas, the United States Court of Appeals confirmed the obligation of the Department of Energy to conform to the provisions of the act as quid pro quo for the contractual payments received into the federal Nuclear Waste Fund from the nation's electric utilities with nuclear generation; and

Whereas, the South Carolina electric utility ratepayers are paying for the federal nuclear waste management and disposal program through a fixed charge on their electricity rates in excess of $20 million annually and have contributed, including interest, more than $480 million into the federal Nuclear Waste Fund; and

Whereas, the United States Congress has appropriated only 45 percent of payments into the federal Nuclear Waste Fund since 1992 for the development of the federal nuclear waste management and has appropriated only 24.4 percent for fiscal year 1998; and

Whereas, the South Carolina electric utility ratepayers will pay approximately $25.6 million into the federal Nuclear Waste Fund in fiscal year 1998, only $6.2 million will be used for the federal nuclear waste management and disposal program and, therefore, nearly $20 million in charges levied against South Carolina ratepayers will be misappropriated; and

Whereas, the Department of Energy sends high-level, noncommercial spent nuclear fuel from its research laboratories throughout the United States and from research reactors in 40 foreign countries to the Savannah River Site near Aiken, South Carolina for storage, making the Savannah River Site the nation's defacto nuclear waste repository; and

Whereas, more than 2,100 metric tons of uranium is currently being stored on-site at nuclear power plants in South Carolina; and

Whereas, both the United States Senate and United States House of Representatives have overwhelmingly passed legislation requiring the Department of Energy to fulfill its obligation by accepting spent nuclear fuel at a centralized interim storage facility at the Nevada Test Site. Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate concurring, that the South Carolina General Assembly, by this resolution, urges the United States Congress to adopt final nuclear waste legislation:

That requires the federal government to fulfill its obligations under the Nuclear Waste Policy Act in a timely and efficient manner;

That reforms the funding mechanism to ensure that nuclear waste funds are used solely for program purposes;

That enables the Department of Energy to proceed with an Interim Storage Spent Fuel installation in conjunction with active pursuit of a permanent repository;

That eliminates the redundant licensing requirements of the high-level nuclear waste repository without compromising health, safety, and environmental factors.

Be it further resolved that both the United States Senate and the House of Representatives provide funding sufficient for the Department of Energy to continue with site characterization work at Yucca Mountain, Nevada for a permanent repository, as well as developing a centralized interim storage facility so that the Barnwell, South Carolina site will no longer be the nation's nuclear waste repository.

Be it further resolved that the South Carolina General Assembly urges the President to sign this legislation, and that if the President vetoes this legislation, the United States Congress override the veto.

Be it further resolved that the South Carolina General Assembly hereby expresses appreciation to the members of the South Carolina Public Service Commission, and particularly for the leadership of Commissioner Warren D. Arthur, IV, for their guidance to our State and nation in promulgating an effective nuclear waste disposal policy, and insuring that it is fairly implemented with respect to the State of South Carolina and all of its citizens.

Be it further resolved that copies of this resolution be forwarded to the President of the United States, the United States Senate, the United States House of Representatives, and members of the South Carolina Congressional delegation.