1999

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 99-1015

BY REPRESENTATIVES Scott, Mitchell, Paschall Clapp, Fairbank, George, Lee, Pfiffner, Smith, Witwer, Dean, Decker, Gordon, Gotlieb, Hagedorn, Keller, Mace, McElhany, Morrison, Stengel, Swenson, Taylor, Tochtrop, S. Williams, and Zimmerman.

also SENATORS Congrove and Arnold, Anderson, Chlouber, Hillman, Musgrave, Nichol, Perlmutter, Powers, and Tebedo.

CONCERNING THE REMOVAL OF ROCKY FLATS NUCLEAR WASTE.

WHEREAS, Transuranic waste from the Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site is currently stored within the proximity of the 2.1 million residents of the Denver metropolitan area; and

WHEREAS, It is in the best interest of the residents of the Denver metropolitan area that such transuranic waste be removed in a safe and timely manner; and

WHEREAS, Taxpayers have spent 2.1 billion dollars to construct the Waste Isolation Pilot Project in New Mexico for the safe storage of transuranic waste from the Rocky Flats site; and

WHEREAS, The state of New Mexico has unreasonably delayed the issuance of a permit for the handling and storage of mixed transuranic waste from the Rocky Flats site; and

WHEREAS, The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia has ruled that the federal "Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976" does not require the issuance of a state permit for non­mixed transuranic waste; and

WHEREAS, Rocky Flats has substantial amounts of non­mixed transuranic waste that the U.S. Department of Energy intends to store in tents on the Rocky Flats site because the Waste Isolation Pilot Project has failed to commence operations; and

WHEREAS, The longer transuranic waste is stored on site at Rocky Flats, the more difficult it will be for that site to close by the year 2006, the U.S. Department of Energy's projected closure date for such site; now, therefore,

Be It Resolved by the House of Representatives of the Sixty­second General Assembly of the State of Colorado, the Senate concurring herein:

That the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy be urged to immediately begin shipment of non­mixed transuranic waste from the Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site to the Waste Isolation Pilot Project, such shipments being in the best interest of the residents of Colorado.

Be It Further Resolved, That the Colorado Attorney General be urged to pursue all legal remedies against the parties who, by their actions cause or continue the storage of transuranic waste at the Rocky Flats site, endanger the health, safety, and property of the residents of Colorado.

Be It Further Resolved, That copies of this resolution be sent to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy and to the Colorado Attorney General Ken Salazar.

_________________________ _________________________

Russell George Ray Powers

SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE PRESIDENT OF THE

OF REPRESENTATIVES SENATE

_________________________ _________________________

Judith M. Rodrigue Patricia K. Dicks

CHIEF CLERK OF THE HOUSE SECRETARY OF

OF REPRESENTATIVES THE SENATE