HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  HB 2835

                       As Passed House

                      February 17, 1992

Title:  An act relating to the waste management advisory council.

Brief Description:  Modifying the membership of the radioactive waste management advisory council.

Sponsor(s):  Representatives Cooper, H. Myers, Peery, Hine and G. Fisher.

Brief History:

  Reported by House Committee on:

Energy & Utilities, February 7, 1992, DP;

Passed House, February 17, 1992, 97-0.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON

ENERGY & UTILITIES

Majority Report: Do pass.  Signed by 7 members:  Representatives Grant, Chair; H. Myers, Vice Chair; May, Ranking Minority Member; Cooper; R. Fisher; Jacobsen; and Miller.

Minority Report: Do not pass.  Signed by 4 members:  Representatives Hochstatter, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Bray; Casada; and Rayburn.

Staff:  Fred Adair (786-7113).

Background:  When the state was a candidate for location of a high-level radioactive waste disposal site, a Nuclear Waste Board and a Nuclear Waste Advisory Council were created to focus state concerns and to convey them to the federal government.

With Congressional action to locate the site in Nevada, the Nuclear Waste Board was terminated, but the Nuclear Waste Advisory Council was retained, chiefly to serve in connection with federal actions to clean up federal government radioactive waste on the Hanford Reservation.

The public involvement capability of the council is a valued function that should be continued.  Legislative membership in the council is not seen as necessary.

Summary of Bill:  The Nuclear Waste Advisory Council membership is changed to eliminate legislative members.  The total membership is thereby reduced from 19 to 11.

The council is given the additional duty of reporting annually to the House and Senate committees on Energy and Utilities and to the governor.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  Surveys show that the public does not trust government or industry in nuclear matters.  The advisory council has more public credibility.  The need for the council is still vital to oversee Hanford cleanup even though the Commercial High Level Radioactive Waste Repository is no longer an issue.  The council is a vital link to provide information to the public and to receive information from the public and direct it to the appropriate authority.

Testimony Against:  None.

Witnesses:  Warren Bishop (Chair), Mike Spranger, and Nancy Korb, Nuclear Waste Advisory Council (pro); David Allison and Brian Flint, Heart of America Northwest (pro); Susan Schwartz (pro); Martin Fleck, Executive Director, Washington Chapter, Physicians for Social Responsibility (pro); and Betty Tabbut, Washington Environmental Council (pro).