City and County of Denver

Resolution No. 26, Series 1996

Requesting that the Colorado Congressional Delegation oppose Senate Bill 1271, the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1995.

Whereas, passage of Senate Bill 1271, the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1995, would:

• authorize and direct the construction of an interim storage facility at Yucca Mountain in Nevada;
• preempt state and local environmental and safety laws;
• allow transportation of high-level nuclear waste (irradiate nuclear fuel) on a large scale; and

Whereas, irradiated nuclear fuel is extremely dangerous and it has been estimated that 2,347 truck casks (each cask may be as large as 125 tons) and 180 rail casks will be shipped through Colorado; and

Whereas, the proposed highway route is I-70 from Kansas to Denver to Utah, and the proposed rail route runs from St. Vrains to Denver to Greeley to Cheyenne; and

Whereas, a risk analysis of all corridors and methods of transportation needs to be complete before transportation of nuclear waste begins; and

Whereas, it is essential that proposed routes of transport are not those corridors that the City is studying and proposing for further development of commuter rail (such as routes between downtown Denver and the airport); and

Whereas , Senate Bill 1271 would limit the availability of funds to assist communities should nuclear transport accidents occur;

Now, Therefore,

Be it Resolved by the Council of the City and County of Denver:

Section 1. That the Council of the City and County of Denver urge the Colorado Congressional Delegation and members of the Energy and Natural Resource Committee to oppose Senate Bill 1271.

Section 2. That the Council of the City and County of Denver encourages the Congress to consider all ramifications of nuclear waste transportation before any transportation efforts begin.

Section 3. That the Clerk of the City and County of Denver shall attest and affix the seal of the City ad County of Denver to this resolution, and that a copy hereof be transmitted to each member of the Colorado Congressional Delegation and members of the Energy and Natural Resource Committee.

PASSED BY the Council March 11, 1996, signed by the Mayor March 12, 1996