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1
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 101

 
2     WHEREAS, Nuclear power accounts for roughly 19% of the
3 total net electricity generated in the United States; and
 
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
 
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
 
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
 
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
 
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 regarding the safety and security of facilities and materials
4 in the immediate term and on an ongoing basis and questions
5 regarding long-term liabilities such as disposal of waste and
6 safe and affordable decommissioning must first be answered; and
 
7     WHEREAS, Given that Illinois derives almost one-half of its
8 power generation from nuclear power plants, and that a number
9 of issues are in public discourse concerning the current
10 plants, waste storage, and the future of nuclear generation in
11 a carbon-constrained world, the General Assembly of the State
12 of Illinois believes it is necessary to convene a task force to
13 study nuclear power issues; therefore, be it
 
14     RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL
15 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
16 CONCURRING HEREIN, that there is created the Nuclear Power
17 Issues Task Force consisting of 11 members as follows: one
18 Senator chosen by the Senate President, who shall be a
19 co-chairperson, one Representative chosen by the Speaker of the
20 House of Representatives, who shall be a co-chairperson, one
21 Senator chosen by the Senate Minority Leader, one
22 Representative chosen by the House Minority Leader, one member
23 chosen by the Attorney General, the Director of the Illinois
24 Environmental Protection Agency, or his or her designee, the

 

 

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1 Director of the Illinois Power Agency, or his or her designee,
2 the Director of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency, or
3 his or her designee, and selected jointly by the
4 co-chairpersons one member from the business community, one
5 member from the environmental community, and one member with
6 homeland security experience in a government agency; and be it
7 further
 
8     RESOLVED, That the Illinois Emergency Management Agency,
9 the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, and the Office of
10 the Attorney General shall cooperate to provide technical and
11 administrative support for the Task Force, subject to available
12 appropriations for that purpose; and be it further
 
13     RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall compile information on
14 the following issues, as well as others it deems necessary:
15         (1) the decommissioning of existing or retired plants,
16     including waste storage or disposal issues;
17         (2) waste storage and movement within the State,
18     including any economic potential;
19         (3) the re-processing of spent nuclear fuel;
20         (4) critical security issues, including, but not
21     limited to, facility security requirements, personnel
22     security requirements, the complementary and overlapping
23     requirements imposed by the federal Department of Homeland
24     Security, the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and

 

 

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1     other agencies, key metrics, and audit programs to ensure
2     ongoing security compliance; and
3         (5) the existing moratorium on new nuclear power
4     generation in the State, looking at the structure and
5     process for new generation, and how nuclear generation can
6     play a role in the future power needs of the State,
7     including looking also at greenhouse gas emissions and
8     potential regulations to constrain carbon output; and be it
9     further
 
10     RESOLVED, That in order to gather all necessary
11 information, the Task Force shall solicit expert testimony and
12 public opinion through a series of public hearings; and be it
13 further
 
14     RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall prepare a report and
15 file it with the Secretary of the Senate and the Clerk of the
16 House by January 1, 2009 detailing the issues raised and any
17 policy recommendations it deems necessary, if any, as well as
18 outlining the next steps for further study of the issues.