HR0767 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0767 LRB097 20165 KMW 65571 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The State of Illinois has 11 operating nuclear power reactors and more radioactive spent fuel than any other state in the nation; and

WHEREAS, An equipment malfunction, fire, human error, natural disaster, or terrorist attack could, separately or in combination, lead to a nuclear catastrophe with potentially devastating human, environmental, and economic consequences for the citizens of Illinois, the region, and nation; and

WHEREAS, The March 2011 nuclear accident at the Fukushima Daiichi plant in Japan has resulted in significant radiation exposure for countless Japanese citizens, billions of dollars in economic losses, and unimaginable hardship for thousands of Japanese families who have lost their homes and way of life; and

WHEREAS, All but one of the nuclear power plants in Illinois have reported groundwater leaks; and

WHEREAS, The LaSalle and Clinton power plants have suffered year-plus outages due to mechanical malfunctions and safety failures; and

WHEREAS, The earthquake risk at the Dresden nuclear power plant has been determined by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to exceed the capacity of its design; and

WHEREAS, Braidwood, Byron, Clinton, Dresden, LaSalle, and Quad Cities nuclear power plants do not periodically review their voluntary but critical Severe Accident Management Guidelines (SAMGs), according to a Nuclear Regulatory Commission audit conducted after the Fukushima disaster; and

WHEREAS, According to many independent experts, there are well-documented safety and security shortcomings at the nation's 104 operating nuclear reactors that can and should be corrected to improve public health and safety; and

WHEREAS, The residents of Illinois have an inalienable right to have their voices heard regarding possible threats to the health, safety, and general well-being of themselves, their families, their property, and the surrounding environment arising from the State's nuclear power plants; and

WHEREAS, The people of Illinois want a safe and secure energy supply for themselves and future generations; and

WHEREAS, The Illinois General Assembly takes its responsibility to represent its citizens with utmost seriousness; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which has complete jurisdiction over U.S. nuclear power safety and security matters, must ensure that concrete steps are taken now to address serious shortcomings in nuclear plant safety and security that have been evident for years, however no technology can be made perfectly safe, but the Nuclear Regulatory Commission can and must do more to guard against accidents as well as the threat of terrorist attacks on reactors and spent fuel pools; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Illinois General Assembly urges the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to do the following: (1) require Illinois nuclear power plant owners to transfer radioactive spent fuel from storage pools to much safer dry casks as soon after 5 years of cooling as possible; (2) ensure that everyone at significant risk from a severe accident, not just people within the arbitrary 10-mile zone currently used for emergency planning, is protected; (3) extend the scope of its regulations to include the prevention and mitigation of severe accidents; and (4) improve protection of the nation's nuclear power plants against terrorist attacks; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we further direct the House clerk, upon passage of this resolution, to send copies to all 5 Commissioners on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Governor of Illinois, the Illinois Congressional Delegation, and to the CEO of Exelon, the company that owns all Illinois nuclear power plants, with an accompanying cover letter stating the date this resolution was passed by the General Assembly in the State of Illinois.