BP BHEAD INT H

TO THE HONORABLE WILLIAM J. CLINTON, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, AND TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AND TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES, IN CONGRESS ASSEMBLED, AND TO THE SECRETARY OF ENERGY, AND THE SECRETARY OF STATE:

We, your Memorialists, the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Washington, in legislative session assembled, respectfully represent and petition as follows:

WHEREAS, The United States Department of Energy and the United States Department of State are jointly proposing to adopt a policy to manage spent nuclear fuel from foreign research reactors; and

WHEREAS, Nuclear fuel in the United States of America would be covered by this policy; and

WHEREAS, The purpose of this policy is to promote United States nuclear weapons nonproliferation policy objectives, specifically seeking to reduce highly enriched uranium from civilian commerce; and

WHEREAS, The Senate and the House of Representatives of the State of Washington do not oppose the nonproliferation policy objectives of the United States; and

WHEREAS, The environmental effects and policy considerations of three alternative management approaches for implementation of the proposed policy are assessed; and

WHEREAS, Alternative number one would be the acceptance and management of the spent nuclear fuel by the Department of Energy in the United States; and

WHEREAS, Under alternative number one, the spent nuclear fuel would be shipped by ocean-going vessels from foreign countries to the United States of America; and

WHEREAS, The Port of Tacoma is considered one of ten ports through which the shipment of spent nuclear fuels would occur; and

WHEREAS, The Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) was prepared to address the Proposed Nuclear Weapons Nonproliferation Policy Concerning Foreign Research Reactor Spent Nuclear Fuel, and the DEIS:

(1) Has used outdated information about the Port of Tacoma, its terminals and operations, and the surrounding area;

(2) Did not consider the deep water depth in the Puget Sound area, which will cause substantial problems in recovery of nuclear fuel shipping containers in case of an accident;

(3) Ignored the harm that can be caused to the population and environment of the area in case of an explosion and fire aboard a vessel navigating Puget Sound;

(4) Did not recognize the status of Commencement Bay as a Superfund site, the stigma attached to this designation, and the expansion of this stigma by alternative number one;

(5) Ignored the significant cleanup effort by the Port of Tacoma, the City of Tacoma, and the industries in Commencement Bay and the associated crippling business interruption issues;

(6) Stated that part of this material would be of interest to unfriendly nations and terrorists, and yet did not provide adequate risks and consequences information on a complete, explosive breach of the nuclear fuel by disgruntled persons or terrorists;

(7) Did not consider the security aspect of these shipments through the Port of Tacoma, the City of Tacoma, Pierce County, and the State of Washington;

(8) Did not adequately address life cycle costs, benefits, and risks of the proposed alternatives; and

(9) Ignored the fairness and equity issues of selecting the smaller ports in lower population areas after implying the risks were virtually inconsequential; and

WHEREAS, The record for the safe operation and handling of nuclear materials in United States Department of Energy regulated facilities is less than satisfactory, and there are facilities owned and operated by the United States government capable of receiving and handling this nuclear material; and

WHEREAS, The United States House Budget Resolution eliminates the United States Department of Energy thereby creating funding uncertainties; and

WHEREAS, The United States Department of Energy is failing to provide adequate procedural due process in that it is not making a record of its hearings; and

WHEREAS, The United States Department of Energy has failed to properly answer a question from a meeting conducted by the Port of Tacoma in Tacoma on the 22nd of May 1995, pertaining to the effect of radiation in the environment should a shipping cask be damaged during the handling process in the port; and

WHEREAS, Similar resolutions have been adopted by the Pierce County Council, the City of Federal Way, and the Port of Tacoma;

NOW, THEREFORE, Your Memorialists respectfully pray that the United States Department of Energy remove the Port of Tacoma, Washington, from the list of proposed sites for the shipping of spent nuclear fuels.

BE IT RESOLVED, That copies of this Memorial be immediately transmitted to the Honorable William J. Clinton, President of the United States, the Secretary of Energy, the Secretary of State, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and each member of Congress from the State of Washington.