7637-01 Oppose Yucca Mountain - Nuclear Waste

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WHEREAS, railroad accidents continue to occur routinely in the U S There is a train accident approximately every 90 minutes. A train carrying hazardous materials runs off the tracks, spills some of its load, and forces an evacuation about once every ~w'o weeks; and WHEREAS, timely and continuing local and regional emergency preparedness along al~ proposed transportation route is currently lacking even though it is critical to respond to and mitigate the effects of a nuclear accident on terrorist attack upon the shipment; and WHEREAS, the Perry Nuclear Power Plant near Painesville, Ohio and the Davis Besse Nuclear Power Plant near Sandusky, Ohio will contribute to the transportation of high level nuclear waste in Ohio, and, even w~th the relocation Of existing radioactive waste, Perry and Davis Besse and the other 101 nuclear power plants wi~t continue to generate still more dangerous waste; and WHEREAS, DOE's own data shows that the Yucca Mountain site will fail to contain nuclear waste, Radioactive gasses will be released and radioactive waste will be washed into the ground water a short time after the first containers fall; and WHEREAS, in 1992 Congress exempted Yucca Mountain from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standard, telling them to write a special standard just for Yucca Mountain; and WHEREAS, Yucca Mountain is in a very active earthquake zone. There have been 621 earthquakes greater thae 2.5 on the Richter Scale within a 50 mile radius of Yucca Mountain since 1976 (including a 5 6 that did a million dollars damage to the DOE field office studying the site in 1992), exceeding current Nuclear Regulatory Commission regulations for allowing licensure as a nuclear reactor with on-site waste storage. A power plant's high-level nuclear waste storage area such as Perry or Davis Besse's could not be sited at Yucca Mountain according to regulations; and WHEREAS, alternative means must be fully explored for managing and disposing of high-level nuclear wastes to minimize health and safety risks for current and future generations: THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY OF LAKEWOOD, STATE OF OHIO: Section 1. That we urge the Secretary of Energy to declare the Yucca Mountain site unsuitable for development of a nuctear repository now or in the future, terminate all work at the site, and inform Congress of his actions; Section 2. That we urge Congress to reject any proposed legislation for high-level nuclear waste storage at Yucca Mountain, which mandates weakening the existing radiation standards or excludes appropriate scientific studies designed to protect pubfic health and safety; Section 3~ That we urge Congress, the U.S. Department of Energy, and the State of Ohio to insure adequate national, state and local assistance and appropriations to fund emergency management activities for state and local jurisdictions through which nuclear waste wilt be transported well before the first nuclear waste shipment takes place and unfit alt shipments cease; Section 4 That we urge the Department of Energy and the State of Ohio to diversify our nation's and Ohio's energy portfolio by investing in and futly utilizing energy efficiency and promoting emerging technologies like wind, solar, biomass, iow- impact hydro and geothermal, combined with a movement toward distributed generation and fuel cells to improve electricity re]iabfiity and energy independence;