Urges President of United States and United States Congress to annually financially compensate every local unit of government in United States where there is located decommissioned nuclear power plant in which spent nuclear fuel is stored.
The resolution emphasizes that many decommissioned nuclear power plants cannot be repurposed or developed until the spent fuel is relocated, blocking potential tax revenue for the municipalities. The proposed compensation, calculated at a rate of $15 per kilogram of spent fuel stored, is envisioned as a remedy to the financial losses incurred by these local governments, which face heightened property taxes as a result of their inability to utilize these contaminated sites effectively. This compensation method aims to address the historical negligence regarding the creation of suitable nuclear waste disposal solutions.
SCR90 is a concurrent resolution introduced in the New Jersey Legislature that urges the President of the United States and Congress to enact legislation for annual financial compensation to local governments that host decommissioned nuclear power plants where spent nuclear fuel is stored. The resolution highlights the financial burden these municipalities face as their properties become effectively unusable and lose value due to the presence of hazardous waste. This is a response to a long-standing issue stemming from the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982, which has yet to result in the establishment of a federal repository for nuclear waste disposal.
Notably, the resolution references the previous unsuccessful legislative attempts, such as the 'Stranded Nuclear Waste Accountability Act of 2017.' This background suggests a lack of urgency or seriousness on the federal government's part to provide a timely solution for the storage of nuclear waste, raising questions about potential partisan or bureaucratic gridlocks that hinder progress. The resolution also reflects broader concerns over environmental safety and public health, which may provoke contentious debates regarding responsibility and liability in nuclear energy policies.