[NukeNet] Bill in Tn. legislature to end dumping of nuclear waste in Tennessee. Way to go, Tn!

[Dolph Honicker]

Let's follow suit.  "If you make it, you keep it."
 
Jeannine
 
http://www.dnj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080118/NEWS01/801180305/1002
 
County OKs bill which would prohibit nuclear dumping in stateBy TURNER HUTCHENS trhutchens at dnj.com — Turner Hutchens, 615-278-5161 





The Rutherford County Commission is supporting a state bill prohibiting any nuclear dumping in Tennessee. 
Rep. Donna Rowland, R-Murfreesboro, filed a bill in the state House of Representatives Thursday which would prohibit the processing or dumping of nuclear materials anywhere in the state. Sen. Jim Tracy, R-Shelbyville, has an identical bill for the state Senate. 




ADVERTISEMENT 

Rowland said she believes officials need to be looking for alternative ways to deal with waste. 
"When we talk about what the processes are for handling our waste — we have progressed so much in our society — just look at computers — but yet we are continuing (to dispose of our waste the same way) for 100 years or more," she said. "We are still burying our trash and forgetting about it." 
The commission had been set to vote on a resolution asking the state to ban nuclear dumping in Rutherford County, but that resolution was amended after officials learned of the new bill. 
The commission voted 20-1 Thursday to put its support behind the state bill, with Commissioner Jim Daniel voting against the measure. 
Daniel said he would support a bill just for Rutherford County, but he was concerned a bill encompassing the whole state would likely lack the necessary support. He said more discussion with the county's legislative delegation was necessary before he could vote in favor of the bill. 
The bill would allow federal agencies to process nuclear material on site at facilities where it was used. 
County Attorney Jim Cope said any state law that passed could be overruled by federal law. 
The has been an increase in concerns about where the hazardous waste generated by nuclear power plants, hospitals, universities and research facilities will go since a waste site near Barnwell, S.C., will be closing its doors to nuclear waste July 1. 
Commissioner Mike Sparks said he was in favor of stopping any radioactive dumping, but that wasn't the only issue with Middle Point Landfill on Jefferson Pike. 
"I think the bigger issue is how much we're putting out there at Mt. Trashmore," he said, referring to Middle Point. 
More attention needs to be given to trying to reduce the amount of trash produced and tossed away. 
Under the state's Bulk Survey for Release Program, low-level radioactive materials had been dumped at five Tennessee landfills, including Middle Point Landfill. 
Last year, after public outcry, scientific study and lengthy hearings, Allied Waste, the owners of the Middle Point Landfill, agreed to end a controversial program to bury low-level radioactive waste here. 
DNJ News Editor Mary Reeves contributed to this story. 
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://mail.energyjustice.net/pipermail/nukenet_energyjustice.net/attachments/20080118/b694c78e/attachment.html