[NukeNet] Stop import of radioactive waste; support HR 5632

Thu Mar 27 17:28:29 EDT 2008

STOP THE IMPORT OF RADIOACTIVE WASTE!

SUPPORT HR 5632-CALL YOUR REPRESENTATIVE NOW

On March 2, we told you about EnergySolutions' scheme to import some
20,000 tons of radioactive waste from Italy to the U.S. EnergySolutions
wants to bring this waste in through the ports of Charleston, SC and New
Orleans, LA; ship it to Tennessee for various types of
"processing"-including incineration and possible "recycling" into
consumer and industrial goods-and then send what's left for burial in
the company's shallow landfill in Utah.

This is a fight we have to win! EnergySolutions' scheme would open the
door to making the U.S. the dumping ground for the world's radioactive
waste. Help stop this dangerous precedent with your contribution here on
our secure online server
<https://secure.campagne-online.com/registrant/donate.aspx?EventID=2927&
LangPref=en-CA> .

There have been two important developments:

Legislative: Reps. Gordon (TN), Whitfield (KY) and Matheson (UT) have
introduced HR 5632, a bill to ban the import of such radioactive waste.
The text of the bill is below. However, the bill isn't going anywhere
unless we all back it loudly and clearly. Please call your
Representative today and demand that he/she cosponsor HR 5632, and work
to get this bill to the House floor and on to the Senate. Capitol
Switchboard: 202-224-3121.

*A big thank-you to those of you who have contributed toward our
obtaining the technology necessary to enable you to send e-mails to your
Congressmembers directly from our Alerts. However, we still have a ways
to go before we can afford this. You can help with your contribution
here
<https://secure.campagne-online.com/registrant/donate.aspx?EventID=2927&
LangPref=en-CA> . We want to make this available to you, but we need
dedicated funding to do so. Your help is essential.

Regulatory: Thanks to all your efforts, the Nuclear Regulatory
Commission has extended the comment period on this proposal until June
10, 2008. Those of you on our mailing list will soon be receiving a
comment postcard you can mail directly to the NRC, or to NIRS and we'll
send it on to the NRC.

The postcard states simply:

Don't let the United States become the world's radioactive waste dumping
ground!

I urge the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to deny license applications
IW023 and XW013. These applications would allow EnergySolutions to
import some 20,000 tons--a million cubic feet--of radioactive waste from
Italy into the United States. Energy-Solutions proposes to ship this
waste into SC and LA,  "process" it in Tennessee, where it could be
incinerated, dumped in regular trash landfills, or "recycled" into
consumer and industrial goods, and then ship the remainder to Utah for
shallow land burial.

This scheme is fraught with unnecessary danger, could increase radiation
exposures to the public, and would set a terrible precedent. The United
States must not become the dumping ground for the world's radioactive
waste. These applications must be rejected.

If you don't want to wait, or aren't on our mailing list, you can e-mail
these comments, or your own thoughts, directly to the NRC at
secy at nrc.gov and reference license applications IW023 and XW013.

And if you want more postcards to pass out in your community, let us
know and we'll send them to you.

We can stop this scheme and prevent the U.S. from becoming an
international radioactive waste dumping ground. Your actions will make
the difference!

Thanks for all you do,

Michael Mariotte 

Executive Director

Nuclear Information and Resource Service

6930 Carroll Avenue, #340
Takoma Park, MD 20912

301-270-6477

nirsnet at nirs.org, www.nirs.org <http://www.nirs.org/> 

For updates, technical and background information, stay in touch with
Diane D'Arrigo of NIRS at dianed at nirs.org

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Climate, please do so here: http://www.nirs.org/petition2/index.php
<http://www.nirs.org/petition2/index.php>  (but please don't sign
multiple times!). If you have signed, please pass this address on to
your friends, colleagues, congregations, PTA groups, and any other
e-mail lists you have!

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110th CONGRESS

2d Session

H. R. 5632

To prohibit the importation of certain low-level radioactive waste into
the United States. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

March 13, 2008

Mr. GORDON of Tennessee (for himself, Mr. WHITFIELD of Kentucky, and Mr.
MATHESON) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on
Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the
Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall
within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

________________________________

A BILL

To prohibit the importation of certain low-level radioactive waste into
the United States. 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United
States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. PROHIBITION OF IMPORTATION.

(a) Amendment- Chapter 8 of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (42 U.S.C.
2111 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following new section:

`Sec. 85. Importation of Low-Level Radioactive Waste.

`a. Except as provided in subsection b. or c., the Commission shall not
issue a license authorizing the importation into the United States of--

`(1) low-level radioactive waste (as defined in section 2 of the
Low-Level Radioactive Waste Policy Act (42 U.S.C. 2021b)); or

`(2) specific radioactive waste streams exempted from regulation by the
Commission under section 10 of the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Policy
Act (42 U.S.C. 2021j).

`b. Subsection a. shall not apply to--

`(1) low-level radioactive waste being returned to a United States
Government or military facility which is authorized to possess the
material; or

`(2) low-level radioactive waste resulting from the use in a foreign
country of nuclear material obtained by the foreign user from an entity
in the United States that is being returned to the United States for
management and disposal.

`c. The President may waive the prohibition under this section and
authorize the grant of a specific license to import materials prohibited
under subsection a., under the rules of the Commission, only after a
finding that such importation would meet an important national or
international policy goal, such as the use of waste for research
purposes. Such a waiver must specify the policy goal to be achieved, how
it is to be achieved, and the amount of material to be imported.

`d. A license not permitted under this section that was issued before
the date of enactment of this section may continue in effect according
to its terms, but may not be extended or amended with respect to the
amount of material permitted to be imported.'.

(b) Table of Contents Amendment- The table of contents for the Atomic
Energy Act of 1954 is amended by inserting at the end of the items
relating to chapter 8 the following new item:

`Sec. 85. Importation of low-level radioactive waste.'. 

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