H-1221              _______________________________________________

                                           HOUSE JOINT MEMORIAL NO. 4009

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              50th Legislature                              1987 Regular Session

By Representatives Jacobsen, Unsoeld, Valle, Cole, Belcher, Heavey, Niemi, Fisher, Appelwick and Lux

Read first time 2/6/87 and referred to Committee on Environmental Affairs.

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, Conflicting reports and studies continue to question the value and safety of irradiating foods; and

          WHEREAS, The federal government through Department of Energy subsidies is encouraging the construction of food irradiators and the irradiation industry is seeking an expansion of the list of foods that may be irradiated; and

          WHEREAS, Irradiation facilities contain significant quantities of radioactive materials and would be located in and around food producing and processing areas and close to population centers; and

          WHEREAS, Extensive and regular transport of quantities of highly radioactive material over the state's roads and highways would greatly increase the risks and likelihood of nuclear accidents and exposure to radioactivity from spills, accidents, and leaks; and

          WHEREAS, The voters of Washington state in a recent initiative and public opinion surveys have indicated their reluctance to increase our state's role in the nuclear industry and subject our state to additional risk of nuclear accidents; and

          WHEREAS, Consumers want to have the choice of avoiding irradiated foods at grocery stores and other food facilities;

          NOW, THEREFORE, Your Memorialists respectfully pray that Congress adopt and the President sign into law the "Food Irradiation Safety and Labeling Requirement Act" which would impose a moratorium on the implementation of regulations relating to irradiation until a comprehensive study of food irradiation by the National Academy of Sciences or a similar organization is completed and would mandate labeling of all irradiated food ingredients.

          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 United States  House of Representatives, and each member of Congress from the State of Washington.