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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, Zion Nuclear Power Station was a dual reactor
3nuclear power plant built in 1973 along the shore of Lake
4Michigan on 257 acres in the City of Zion; and
 
5    WHEREAS, The two Zion reactor units, each with a generating
6capacity of 1,040 MW, remained operational for approximately 23
7years from 1973 to 1997; and
 
8    WHEREAS, The construction of the Zion Nuclear Power Station
9was funded by utility ratepayers throughout the State of
10Illinois; and
 
11    WHEREAS, The people of Zion cooperated with utilities in
12the construction and placement of the Zion Nuclear Power
13Station in their city; and
 
14    WHEREAS, Zion Nuclear Power Station paid $19.8 million in
15local taxes in 1996, and those taxes represented approximately
1655% of the local tax base; and
 
17    WHEREAS, The loss of tax revenue has shifted the local tax
18burden onto the people of Zion, and negatively impacted the
19local taxing bodies including the City of Zion, Zion Township,
20Zion Elementary School District 6, Zion-Benton High School

 

 

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1District 126, Zion Benton Library District, and Zion Park
2District; and
 
3    WHEREAS, Decontamination and dismantlement of the Zion
4Nuclear Power Station began in 2011 and continues with an
5estimated 2020 final closure date; and
 
6    WHEREAS, The 1982 federal Nuclear Waste Policy Act was
7enacted to provide for the development of repositories for the
8disposal of high-level radioactive waste and spent nuclear
9fuel, including creation of the Interim Storage Fund; and
 
10    WHEREAS, The previously approved spent nuclear fuel
11repository at Yucca Mountain remains incomplete and unfunded
12and no alternative permanent fuel repository has been
13designated; and
 
14    WHEREAS, The Interim Storage Fund was created using
15ratepayer funds to make payments to a state or local government
16to mitigate social or economic impacts arising from the
17operation of an interim storage facility; and
 
18    WHEREAS, Upon completion of the dismantlement process, due
19to the lack of a permanent fuel repository, 2.2 million pounds
20of spent nuclear fuel rods will remain at the Zion Nuclear
21Power Station, rendering the area a de facto interim nuclear

 

 

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1storage facility; and
 
2    WHEREAS, The storage of this nuclear material will render a
3large portion of Zion's Lake Michigan shoreline unusable and
4valued at a fraction of its fair market value, resulting in a
5massive negative economic impact on the community; therefore,
6be it
 
7    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-NINTH GENERAL
8ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge Congress to
9pass legislation to allocate funds from the Interim Storage
10Fund to the local authorities in Zion and other similarly
11situated communities to mitigate social and economic impacts
12arising from the storage of nuclear material; and be it further
 
13    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
14delivered to Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Paul
15Ryan, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, and all
16members of the Illinois Congressional Delegation.