HOUSE BILL REPORT

HJM 4000

BYRepresentatives Nelson, Hankins, Rust, Fuhrman, Jesernig, Schoon, Miller and Gallagher

Memorializing Hanford as a national energy center.

House Committe on Energy & Utilities

Majority Report:  Do pass. (12)

      Signed by Representatives Nelson, Chair; Todd, Vice Chair; Hankins, Ranking Republican Member; Brooks, Cooper, Gallagher, Jacobsen, Jesernig, May, R. Meyers, H. Myers and S. Wilson.

House Staff:Fred Adair (786-7113) and Harry Reinert (786-7110)

AS PASSED HOUSE FEBRUARY 3, 1989

BACKGROUND:

Hanford and the Tri-City Community as a whole are both in need of and exceptionally well suited to take on additional energy research and development.  Moreover, there is a pressing national need for additional energy research and development.

The national need is exemplified by the emerging awareness of damage to the biosphere from energy production and other actions, through overreliance on imported oil, and because of unnecessarily high energy costs which adversely affect the national economic competitive posture.

Over four decades of major defense nuclear and other highly technical activities have built a tremendous reservoir of scientific and technical talent of a wide variety of disciplines in the Tri-City Community.  Additionally, the Hanford Reservation is exceptionally well suited to further research and development work in a variety of energy technologies by the ready availability of land and particularly advantageous geographic and topographic features.

The rapidly declining federal defense nuclear activity at Hanford coincides with the need for increased energy research and development, making Hanford a logical and high quality choice for placing new work.

SUMMARY:

The President and Congress are asked to establish the Hanford National Energy Center on the Hanford Reservation.  Further, they are asked that this center be given first consideration as a possible site for the location of energy research, development, and production facilities of all types, as may be anticipated or planned by the federal government and states.

Fiscal Note:      Not Requested.

House Committee ‑ Testified For:    Ed McGuire, Washington State Energy Office.

House Committee - Testified Against:      None Presented.

House Committee - Testimony For:    Legislation in the previous Congress and likely to be reintroduced this year will revise energy policy based on emerging biospheric impacts and other factors.  The bill will call for increased energy research and development.  The Tri-City community has expertise in and had done research and development previously in a variety of energy resource areas.

House Committee - Testimony Against:      None Presented.