[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 118 (Tuesday, September 9, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S9017-S9018]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        PETITIONS AND MEMORIALS

  The following petitions and memorials were laid before the Senate and 
were referred or ordered to lie on the table as indicated:

       POM-224. A resolution adopted by the House of the 
     Legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts; to the 
     Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

                               Resolution

       Whereas, the Federal Government's program to manage and 
     dispose of spent fuel from the United States nuclear power 
     plants is substantially behind schedule and failure to take 
     appropriate action to enable said Federal Government to take 
     title to and possession of this material in a timely and 
     efficient manner coul result in the need to construct and 
     operate one or more long-term spent nuclear fuel storage 
     facilities in Massachusetts and New England; and
       Whereas, forty per cent of New England's power is from 
     nuclear plant generation which is the highest percentage for 
     any region in the entire United States; and
       Whereas, New England's capability to meet the clean Air Act 
     requirements is highly dependent upon continued availability 
     of our nuclear power plants; and
       Whereas, continued operation of our nuclear power plants 
     reduces New England's dependence on the importation of 
     foreign oil; and
       Whereas, the Department of Energy is contractually required 
     to begin to take title to and possession of spent fuel on 
     January 31, 1998; and
       Whereas, an integrated spent fuel management system is 
     necessary which should include, but not be limited to, four 
     essential components:
       A central facility for interim storage until a permanent 
     repository is made available;
       A transportation infrastructure for the safe and efficient 
     transfer of spent fuel;
       A central repository for permanent deep geological 
     disposal; and
       A provision to prioritize the acceptance of spent nuclear 
     fuel from shut down reactor sites; and
       Whereas, more than $12,000,000,000 has been paid into the 
     nuclear waste fund of which over $1,000,000,000 has been paid 
     by the ratepayers of New England and current congressional 
     budget restraints preclude proper use of the funds consistent 
     with schedule requirements; and
       Whereas, legislation to rectify the nuclear waste storage 
     problem have been introduced in this one hundred and fifth 
     session of the United States Congress: Therefore be it
       Resolved, That the Massachusetts House of Representatives 
     respectfully requests that the United States Congress enact 
     legislation to address the problems relative to the disposal 
     of nuclear waste and that members thereof from the 
     Commonwealth take a leadership role in insuring that the 
     financial, energy and environmental interests of the 
     ratepayers of the Commonwealth are protected; and be it 
     further

[[Page S9018]]

       Resolved, That a copy of these resolutions be forwarded by 
     the clerk of the House of Representatives to the Presiding 
     Officer of each branch of the United States Congress and to 
     the members thereof in this Commonwealth.

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