RESOLUTION NUMBER 224

A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF MESQUITE, NEVADA REGARDING THE TRANSPORTATION OF NUCLEAR WASTE, RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL AND NUCLEAR SPENT FUEL THROUGH THE CITY OF MESQUITE

WHEREAS, the United State Department of Energy has attempted for over two decades to store nuclear waste, radioactive material and nuclear spent fuel in the State of Nevada at Yucca Mountain which is located less than 100 miles north of Las Vegas, Nevada; and

WHEREAS, if the Department of Energy ultimately prevails in its efforts to make Yucca Mountain a nuclear storage facility, one likely route for the transportation of nuclear waste, radioactive material and nuclear spent fuel on its way to Yucca Mountain, per documents prepared by the Department of Energy, would be on Interstate 15 through the City of Mesquite; and

WHEREAS, if the route for the transportation of nuclear waste, radioactive material and nuclear spent fuel does go through the City of Mesquite via Interstate 15, that route would also be through the Virgin River Gorge via Interstate 15 which is in the State of Arizona is only ten miles north of the City of Mesquite; and

WHEREAS, the path of Interstate 15 through the Virgin River Gorge is an extremely narrow passage, barely wide enough to accommodate the lanes of Interstate 15 at several points; and

WHEREAS, Interstate 15 is a major traffic artery through Utah, Arizona, Nevada and California, a spill of nuclear waste, radioactive material or nuclear spent fuel in the Virgin River Gorge on Interstate 15 could have catastrophic effects on the environment of the Virgin River which travels through the Virgin River Gorge along Interstate 15 and on interstate travel and commerce, perhaps for decades; and

WHEREAS, the Virgin River may be the home of certain endangered species of fish, other wildlife and fauna; and

WHEREAS , the City of Mesquite is the fastest growing community in the United States of America by percentage of growth and currently is home to 15,000 residents and will double in size within the next four years if the current growth rate continues as expected; and

WHEREAS, the City of Mesquite has experienced $700 million in new home construction in the past decade and has become a favored residential destination for golf enthusiasts and senior citizens; and

WHEREAS, if an accident occurred on Interstate 15 at Nevada Exit 122 which caused Pioneer Boulevard to be blocked at Interstate 15, an accident such as occurred in Kingman, Arizona in 1997, approximately seven thousand citizens of Mesquite would be stranded for an indefinite period of time since Pioneer Boulevard is the only road from Interstate 15 and the City of Mesquite and many businesses and homes are adjacent or in close proximity to Interstate 15; and

WHEREAS, the undeclared transportation routes planned by the Department of Energy are of particular concern to the City of Mesquite since the Department of Energy does not even acknowledge the existence of the City of Mesquite on its official maps of the area; and

WHEREAS, Nuclear Regulatory Commission Regulation 1437, dated February of 1999, does not acknowledge or recognize the City of Mesquite in its discussion of a proposed route through our City and the stated proposed route mistakenly states it would go through the unincorporated Township of Overton, Nevada which is over ten miles off Interstate 15 in a rural farm community on an extremely dangerous and narrow road system; and

WHEREAS, the actions of the Department of Energy to date show a complete ignorance of the location of the City of Mesquite and a total lack of concern about what an accident involving the spilling of nuclear waste, radioactive material or nuclear spent fuel in the City of Mesquite or the Virgin River Gorge would have on the City of Mesquite, its citizens, its commerce and its environment.

NOW, THEREFORE, the Mesquite City Council declares by Resolution the following:

• The City of Mesquite opposes the establishment of a storage facility at Yucca Mountain for nuclear waste, radioactive material and nuclear spent fuel.
• The City of Mesquite opposes the transportation of any nuclear waste, radioactive material and nuclear spent fuel through the Virgin River Gorge or the City of Mesquite.
• The City of Mesquite resolves to resist storage of nuclear waste, radioactive materials and spent nuclear fuel at Yucca Mountain and the transportation of the same through the State of Nevada generally and the City of Mesquite specifically and to lend its support toward efforts to oppose said project by all lawful means.

Passed and Adopted this 14 th day of September, 1999.

THE CITY OF MESQUITE

By: Charles Horne, Mayor

ATTEST:

By: Carol Woods, City Clerk