H-403                _______________________________________________

                                           HOUSE JOINT MEMORIAL NO. 4001

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              50th Legislature                              1987 Regular Session

By Representatives Nelson and Barnes

Read first time 1/19/87 and referred to Committee on Energy & Utilities.

TO THE HONORABLE RONALD REAGAN, 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:

          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 process of nuclear fission and radioactive materials are inherently dangerous and great care must be exercised to use them safely; and

          WHEREAS, Pressure to meet production requirements can conflict with assurance of safety; and

          WHEREAS, There have been instances of safety violations at federal government reactors and other plutonium production facilities on the Hanford Reservation; and

          WHEREAS, The same agency, the federal Department of Energy, is responsible both for production and safety; and

          WHEREAS, A different agency, not responsible for production, such as the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, can give better assurance of safety;

          NOW, THEREFORE, Your Memorialists respectfully pray that safety responsibility for the N-Reactor, the Fast Flux Test Facility, the PUREX Plant, and other facilities if appropriate, be transferred from the federal Department of Energy to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission or other appropriate agency.

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