[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3747 Introduced in House (IH)]

103d CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 3747

   To permit marine port authorities to establish guidelines for the 
  shipment of certain materials in a manner that protects the public 
                 health and safety and the environment.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 26, 1994

Mr. Kreidler (for himself and Mr. Dicks) introduced the following bill; 
   which was referred jointly to the Committees on Public Works and 
Transportation, Merchant Marine and Fisheries, Energy and Commerce, and 
                          Education and Labor

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To permit marine port authorities to establish guidelines for the 
  shipment of certain materials in a manner that protects the public 
                 health and safety and the environment.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Safe Shipment and Handling Act of 
1994''.

SEC. 2. GUIDELINES BY MARINE PORT AUTHORITIES TO ENSURE SAFE SHIPMENT 
              OF CERTAIN MATERIAL.

    (a) In General.--Any port authority may--
            (1) through a public comment process, establish reasonable 
        guidelines to ensure that the unloading, transfer, and shipment 
        of spent nuclear fuel at or through a port under its 
        jurisdiction is conducted in a manner that protects the public 
        health and safety and the environment at, and in the vicinity 
        of, such marine port;
            (2) prohibit any such unloading, transfer or shipment that 
        is not in compliance with such guidelines.
    (b) Descriptions of Guidelines.--Guidelines which a Port Authority 
may set include, but are not limited to:
            (1) Workers must be properly trained (to the satisfaction 
        of any union representing such workers) in the handling of the 
        material;
            (2) A comprehensive response plan (including containment in 
        case of fire, spill response, and other contingencies) must be 
        in place before material can enter the port;
            (3) Local communities must be informed of the shipments, as 
        well as possible consequences; and/or
            (4) Radiation exposure levels for workers may not exceed 
        standards for public exposure as already set by regulation.
    (c) Relation to Other Requirements.--Subsection (a) shall apply 
only to guidelines that are more protective of the public health and 
safety and the environment than other applicable requirements 
established under Federal, State, or local law.

SEC. 3. LIABILITY.

    Nothing in this Act shall affect the liability or indemnification 
of the port in the handling of nuclear materials.

SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.

    For purposes of this Act, the terms ``port authority'' and ``marine 
port authority'' mean any local, regional, State, or inter-state 
authority having jurisdiction with respect to the operation of a marine 
port in the United States.

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