02/18/1997 Meeting Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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Council Minutes of 2/18/97 the initial 20-year period of disposal from the highest to the lowest. In 1991, Michigan was expelled from the Compact for failing to fulfill its obligations and Ohio assumed the responsibility of being the first host state. During the late 1970's, the nation's low-level radioactive waste was shipped to three disposal facilities located in Nevada, South Carolina and Washington State. Those three states demanded a more equitable distribution of waste disposal responsibility and the development of new disposal facilities. Congress then enacted the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Policy Act of 1980 and the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Policy Amendment Act of 1985. The disposal of Class A, B and C (low-level waste) became the states' responsibility. Some states formed compacts to exclude waste from outside its boundaries other than of the compact. Also, this allowed the compact states to share the cost of the disposal facilities. The following are reasons presented in support of Ohio Senate Bill 19: 1. Radioactive waste will be stored evenly in six states. 2. The Ohio site would be active 20 years while shipping waste out for 100 years. 3. Generators of the radioactive waste will pay for the cost. 4. Better to have two or three storage facilities than storage at sixty locations throughout Ohio. 5. The Ohio Department of Health will license and regulate the facility to insure its safe operation. 6. Most commercial low-level waste contains small amounts of radioactivity and possess little transportation risk. The opposing arguments were as follows: 1. When a commercial reactor is decommissioned, thousands of tons of radioactive concrete, metals and other materials would come to Ohio. 2. Cities and roads would be exposed to the hazards of transportation. 3. The community chosen for the storage site has no voting power to oppose the site. 4. They oppose receiving waste from other states. 5. You will not be able to buy insurance against a related disaster. 6. Responsibility of accidents and the damage to human life could plague the municipality for decades. 7. Generators who pay will go bankrupt and the taxpayer will be stuck with the bill. 8. Health threats to those who live near the site. 9. After 20 years, other states could refuse to build sites out of Ohio and Ohio will be forced to take more radioactive waste. 10. Once a site is built, it will become a national facility. 11. There is a possibility than an alternative will be coming forth. 12. They would like a vote of the citizenry. After the conclusion of the debate, the committee discussed the pros and cons of the issue and there was a split decision. Two committee members voted to oppose Ohio Senate Bill 19, and one member is in support of Senate Bill 19 and will probably give a minority report. Mr. McKay, Chairperson of the Streets & Drainage Committee: The committee met on Wednesday, February 12. In attendance were Council Members Lind, Nashar, Limpert, O'Grady, Musial and McKay; Service Director Bohlmann; Finance Director Burns. The following items were discussed: a. Resolution 97-11, which requests that the Ohio Department of Transportation improve Lorain Road, State Route 10, from the west corporation line to the east corporation line by resurfacing and curb repair. The committee recommended approval of the legislation even though the request has been made before without action by the State. b. Resolution 97-12, which requests that the Ohio Department of Transportation and the Cuyahoga County Engineer maintain the current schedule for the completion of the 4