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1 | SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION
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2 | WHEREAS, Nuclear power accounts for roughly 19% of the | ||||||
3 | total net electricity generated in the United States; and
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4 | WHEREAS, The genesis of all of the nuclear industries in | ||||||
5 | the world was the first controlled nuclear chain reaction, | ||||||
6 | which took place in Illinois on December 2, 1942 at the | ||||||
7 | University of Chicago; and
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8 | WHEREAS, Illinois is home to more commercial nuclear plants | ||||||
9 | than any other state in the nation and is ranked first among | ||||||
10 | the 31 states with nuclear capacity, as of January 2005; and
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11 | WHEREAS, Of all of the states in the nation, the electric | ||||||
12 | industry in Illinois ranked sixth in highest carbon dioxide | ||||||
13 | emissions, eleventh-highest in sulfur dioxide emissions, and | ||||||
14 | eighth-highest in nitrogen oxide emissions in 2004; and
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15 | WHEREAS, Nuclear energy is clean compared to electricity | ||||||
16 | generated by burning fossil fuels, and nuclear power plants | ||||||
17 | produce no air pollution; and only a small amount of emissions | ||||||
18 | result from processing uranium used in nuclear reactors; and
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19 | WHEREAS, Expansions in the nuclear power market in Illinois | ||||||
20 | have the potential to meet increasing demand for electricity |
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1 | without adverse affects on air quality, global warming, and | ||||||
2 | public health; however, before the industry can grow, questions | ||||||
3 | of long-term liabilities such as disposal of waste and safe and | ||||||
4 | affordable decommissioning must first be answered; and
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5 | WHEREAS, Given that Illinois derives almost one-half of its | ||||||
6 | power generation from nuclear power plants, and that a number | ||||||
7 | of issues are in public discourse concerning the current | ||||||
8 | plants, waste storage, and the future of nuclear generation in | ||||||
9 | a carbon-constrained world, the General Assembly of the State | ||||||
10 | of Illinois believes it is necessary to convene a task force to | ||||||
11 | study nuclear power issues; therefore, be it
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12 | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL | ||||||
13 | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES | ||||||
14 | CONCURRING HEREIN, that there is created the Nuclear Power | ||||||
15 | Issues Task Force consisting of 9 members appointed as follows: | ||||||
16 | one Senator chosen by the Senate President, who shall be a | ||||||
17 | co-chairperson, one Representative chosen by the Speaker of the | ||||||
18 | House of Representatives, who shall be a co-chairperson, one | ||||||
19 | Senator chosen by the Senate Minority Leader, one | ||||||
20 | Representative chosen by the House Minority Leader, one member | ||||||
21 | chosen by the Attorney General, one member from the business | ||||||
22 | community chosen by the co-chairperson appointed by the Senate | ||||||
23 | President, one member from the environmental community chosen | ||||||
24 | by the co-chairperson appointed by the Speaker of the House of |
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1 | Representatives, the Director of the Illinois Environmental | ||||||
2 | Protection Agency, or his or her designee, and the Director of | ||||||
3 | the Illinois Emergency Management Agency, or his or her | ||||||
4 | designee; and be it further
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5 | RESOLVED, That the Illinois Emergency Management Agency, | ||||||
6 | the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, and the Office of | ||||||
7 | the Attorney General shall cooperate to provide technical and | ||||||
8 | administrative support for the Task Force, subject to available | ||||||
9 | appropriations for that purpose; and be it further
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10 | RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall compile information on | ||||||
11 | the following issues, as well as others it deems necessary: | ||||||
12 | (1) the decommissioning of existing or retired plants, | ||||||
13 | including waste storage or disposal issues; | ||||||
14 | (2) waste storage and movement within the State, | ||||||
15 | including any economic potential; | ||||||
16 | (3) the re-processing of spent nuclear fuel; and | ||||||
17 | (4) the existing moratorium on new nuclear power | ||||||
18 | generation in the State, looking at the structure and | ||||||
19 | process for new generation, and how nuclear generation can | ||||||
20 | play a role in the future power needs of the State, | ||||||
21 | including looking also at greenhouse gas emissions and | ||||||
22 | potential regulations to constrain carbon output; and be it | ||||||
23 | further
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1 | RESOLVED, That in order to gather all necessary | ||||||
2 | information, the Task Force shall solicit expert testimony and | ||||||
3 | public opinion through a series of public hearings; and be it | ||||||
4 | further
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5 | RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall prepare a report and | ||||||
6 | file it with the Secretary of the Senate and the Clerk of the | ||||||
7 | House by January 1, 2009 detailing the issues raised and any | ||||||
8 | policy recommendations it deems necessary, if any, as well as | ||||||
9 | outlining the next steps for further study of the issues.
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