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WHEREAS, radioactive spent fuel waste may be transported through San Luis
Obispo County should Senate bills 167, 433, 1271 and HR 1020 be enacted by
Congress,
and, WHEREAS, if federal and state legislation should authorize a "low
level" depository at Ward Valley, such nuclear wastes would be transported
through the county,
and, WHEREAS, low-level nuclear waste contains long-lived radioactive
isotopes such as plutonium,
and, WHEREAS, lives, health, and properties of San Luis Obispo County
residents living along transportation routes will be unnecessarily endangered by
possible accidents, incidents, sabotage, terrorism, etc.,
and, WHEREAS, even during incident/accident-free transportation, health
risks exist to persons living adjacent to routes due to the accumulation of
repeated radiation exposures allowed under the proposed legislation,
and, WHEREAS, according to the US Department of Energy's own studies, an
accident during the transport of nuclear waste could contaminate an area 4 1/2
times the size of the city of San Luis Obispo, and cause years of clean-up and
evacuation to parts of the county, at a cost of up to $10 billion,
and, WHEREAS, San Luis Obispo County or the incorporated cities do not have
adequately trained emergency response personnel or equipment to cope with a
radioactive disaster that could occur as a result of radioactive waste
transportation through the county,
and, WHEREAS, unless fully funded by federal government, HR 10, S1271, S 443
and S 167 and other similar legislation would create an unfunded mandate to SLO
County local governments with regard to the training and equipping of an
emergency response team to cope with a nuclear catastrophe,
and, WHEREAS, property values are likely to fall, attraction of new business
is likely to fail, and improvement of the incorporated cities of SLO County as
well as its non incorporated urbanized areas may become difficult if not
impossible should radioactive waste be transported through SLO County or the
incorporated cities, resulting in a significant drop in revenue,
and, WHEREAS, SLO County's tourist, wine, and agricultural industries would
be negatively impacted by the transportation of nuclear waste through the
county,
and, WHEREAS, the continued production of nuclear power by nuclear power
plants will create additional transportation problems in the disposal of their
radioactive waste,
and, WHEREAS, hundreds, if not thousands, of heavy-truck shipments would
place an additional burden on road maintenance within SLO County and its
incorporated cities,
and, WHEREAS, safer, less costly, renewable energy technology exists
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the County of San Luis Obispo opposes
radioactive waste transportation through our jurisdiction,
and, BE IT RESOLVED, that the County of San Luis Obispo supports the
renewable energy alternatives to nuclear power,
and, BE IT RESOLVED, that the County of San Luis Obispo is on record as
opposing Senate Bills 167, 443, 1271, and HR 1020 and all similar legislation
which would require radioactive waste transportation near or through SLO County
or through the incorporated cities,
and, BE IT RESOLVED, that the County of San Luis Obispo supports Senate Bill
544 which suspends transportation and calls for the creation of an independent
presidential commission to re-examine our nation's radioactive waste policy,
and, BE IT RESOLVED, that the County of San Luis Obispo will carry this
resolution to all of our elected local, state, and general officials and to the
President of the United States.
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