HOUSE BILL REPORT

                      HB 2756

                     As Reported By House Committee on:

                             Energy & Utilities

Title:  An act relating to terminating the radioactive waste advisory council.

Brief Description:  Terminating the radioactive waste advisory council.

Sponsor(s):  Representatives May, Bray, Neher, Rayburn, Casada, Ludwig, Miller, Grant, R. Fisher, Hochstatter, Ballard, Horn, Rust, Jacobsen, Brough and Lisk.

Brief History:

   Reported by House Committee on:

Energy & Utilities, February 7, 1992, DP.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON

ENERGY & UTILITIES

Majority Report: Do pass.  Signed by 7 members:  Representatives Grant, Chair; May, Ranking Minority Member; Hochstatter, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Bray; Casada; Miller; and Rayburn.

Minority Report: Do not pass.  Signed by 4 members:  Representatives H. Myers, Vice Chair; Cooper; R. Fisher; and Jacobsen.

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 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.

With the Department of Ecology serving as the state's representative in the cleanup of the Hanford Reservation, the continued need for the Nuclear Waste Advisory Council is questioned.

Summary of Bill:  The Nuclear Waste Advisory Council is terminated immediately.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

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

Testimony For:  None.

Testimony Against:  Even though Washington currently is no longer a candidate site for a commercial high-level radioactive waste repository, the Nuclear Waste Advisory Council should be retained to oversee cleanup of the Hanford Reservation and other radioactive waste matters.  It is the only specified source of public input in radioactive waste matters and, therefore, is a vital link both to promote public involvement and to provide a conduit for input.  Also, the council is a source of direct advice from its well-qualified members.  Effective state input on Hanford cleanup is of interest statewide, to promote jobs there as well as to restore the environment.  Many citizens do not trust government, especially the U.S. Department of Energy.

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