Full Text of SJR0101 95th General Assembly
SJ0101 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
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SJ0101 |
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LRB095 21510 MJR 51198 r |
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| SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION
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| WHEREAS, Nuclear power accounts for roughly 19% of the | 3 |
| total net electricity generated in the United States; and
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| WHEREAS, The genesis of all of the nuclear industries in | 5 |
| the world was the first controlled nuclear chain reaction, | 6 |
| which took place in Illinois on December 2, 1942 at the | 7 |
| University of Chicago; and
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| WHEREAS, Illinois is home to more commercial nuclear plants | 9 |
| than any other state in the nation and is ranked first among | 10 |
| the 31 states with nuclear capacity, as of January 2005; and
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| WHEREAS, Of all of the states in the nation, the electric | 12 |
| industry in Illinois ranked sixth in highest carbon dioxide | 13 |
| emissions, eleventh-highest in sulfur dioxide emissions, and | 14 |
| eighth-highest in nitrogen oxide emissions in 2004; and
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| WHEREAS, Nuclear energy is clean compared to electricity | 16 |
| generated by burning fossil fuels, and nuclear power plants | 17 |
| produce no air pollution; and only a small amount of emissions | 18 |
| result from processing uranium used in nuclear reactors; and
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| WHEREAS, Expansions in the nuclear power market in Illinois | 20 |
| have the potential to meet increasing demand for electricity |
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LRB095 21510 MJR 51198 r |
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| without adverse affects on air quality, global warming, and | 2 |
| public health; however, before the industry can grow, questions | 3 |
| of long-term liabilities such as disposal of waste and safe and | 4 |
| affordable decommissioning must first be answered; and
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| WHEREAS, Given that Illinois derives almost one-half of its | 6 |
| power generation from nuclear power plants, and that a number | 7 |
| of issues are in public discourse concerning the current | 8 |
| plants, waste storage, and the future of nuclear generation in | 9 |
| a carbon-constrained world, the General Assembly of the State | 10 |
| of Illinois believes it is necessary to convene a task force to | 11 |
| study nuclear power issues; therefore, be it
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| RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL | 13 |
| ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES | 14 |
| CONCURRING HEREIN, that there is created the Nuclear Power | 15 |
| Issues Task Force consisting of 9 members appointed as follows: | 16 |
| one Senator chosen by the Senate President, who shall be a | 17 |
| co-chairperson, one Representative chosen by the Speaker of the | 18 |
| House of Representatives, who shall be a co-chairperson, one | 19 |
| Senator chosen by the Senate Minority Leader, one | 20 |
| Representative chosen by the House Minority Leader, one member | 21 |
| chosen by the Attorney General, one member from the business | 22 |
| community chosen by the co-chairperson appointed by the Senate | 23 |
| President, one member from the environmental community chosen | 24 |
| by the co-chairperson appointed by the Speaker of the House of |
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LRB095 21510 MJR 51198 r |
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| Representatives, the Director of the Illinois Environmental | 2 |
| Protection Agency, or his or her designee, and the Director of | 3 |
| the Illinois Emergency Management Agency, or his or her | 4 |
| designee; and be it further
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| RESOLVED, That the Illinois Emergency Management Agency, | 6 |
| the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, and the Office of | 7 |
| the Attorney General shall cooperate to provide technical and | 8 |
| administrative support for the Task Force, subject to available | 9 |
| appropriations for that purpose; and be it further
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| RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall compile information on | 11 |
| the following issues, as well as others it deems necessary: | 12 |
| (1) the decommissioning of existing or retired plants, | 13 |
| including waste storage or disposal issues; | 14 |
| (2) waste storage and movement within the State, | 15 |
| including any economic potential; | 16 |
| (3) the re-processing of spent nuclear fuel; and | 17 |
| (4) the existing moratorium on new nuclear power | 18 |
| generation in the State, looking at the structure and | 19 |
| process for new generation, and how nuclear generation can | 20 |
| play a role in the future power needs of the State, | 21 |
| including looking also at greenhouse gas emissions and | 22 |
| potential regulations to constrain carbon output; and be it | 23 |
| further
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| RESOLVED, That in order to gather all necessary | 2 |
| information, the Task Force shall solicit expert testimony and | 3 |
| public opinion through a series of public hearings; and be it | 4 |
| further
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| RESOLVED, That the Task Force shall prepare a report and | 6 |
| file it with the Secretary of the Senate and the Clerk of the | 7 |
| House by January 1, 2009 detailing the issues raised and any | 8 |
| policy recommendations it deems necessary, if any, as well as | 9 |
| outlining the next steps for further study of the issues.
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