S.J.R. 4
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SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 4–SENATOR OHRENSCHALL
MARCH 13, 2023
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Referred to Committee on Natural Resources
SUMMARY—Urges the Federal Government to use Yucca
Mountain for the development and storage of
renewable energy. (BDR R-888)
FISCAL NOTE: Effect on Local Government: No.
Effect on the State: No.
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EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new; matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted.
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION—Urging the Federal Government
to use Yucca Mountain for the development and storage
of renewable energy.
WHEREAS, In 1987, Congress amended the Nuclear Waste 1
Policy Act of 1982, 42 U.S.C. §§ 10101 et seq., specifying Yucca 2
Mountain, located near Amargosa Valley, as the sole location for 3
the placement of a national repository for spent nuclear fuel and 4
high-level radioactive waste; and 5
WHEREAS, The State of Nevada has since opposed the 6
placement of a repository for spent nuclear fuel and high-level 7
radioactive waste in the State due to the extremely dangerous nature 8
of such waste, the persistence of that danger for an extended period 9
of time, the potential harm to the environment of the State and 10
serious and unacceptable hazard to the health and welfare of the 11
people of Nevada that is posed by the placement of such a 12
repository in the State; and 13
WHEREAS, In 2021, the United States Government 14
Accountability Office released a report on commercial spent nuclear 15
fuel calling for congressional action to develop a permanent disposal 16
solution; and 17
WHEREAS, According to the report, Yucca Mountain is not a 18
socially or politically viable option for a repository because 19
Congress stopped funding for the activities for the repository in 20
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2010, and the State of Nevada and several Native American tribes 1
are strongly opposed to the repository; and 2
WHEREAS, The report explains that Yucca Mountain is no 3
longer a sufficient site because the existing amount of spent nuclear 4
fuel exceeds the capacity of the site; and 5
WHEREAS, In 2021, the current presidential administration 6
announced its opposition to using Yucca Mountain as a repository 7
and instead plans to send nuclear waste to places where state, local 8
and tribal governments agree to accept nuclear waste; and 9
WHEREAS, During a visit to Nevada in 2021, Jennifer 10
Granholm, the current Secretary of the United States Department of 11
Energy, said that Yucca Mountain will not be a storage place for 12
nuclear waste; and 13
WHEREAS, In 2011, the United States Government 14
Accountability Office released a report identifying alternative uses 15
for Yucca Mountain, which included the development of renewable 16
energy; and 17
WHEREAS, In the report, experts noted that Yucca Mountain 18
could be used to develop geothermal energy, solar energy, wind 19
energy, carbon capture, compressed air storage, hydroelectric 20
energy storage, a renewable energy storage laboratory or a strategic 21
petroleum reserve; and 22
WHEREAS, The benefits of renewable energy include 23
eliminating greenhouse gas emissions, reducing air pollution, 24
diversifying energy supply to reduce dependence on imported fuels, 25
increasing local economic development and creating jobs in 26
manufacturing and energy in Amargosa Valley and nearby 27
communities; and 28
WHEREAS, There has been publicly-expressed interest in the 29
development of transmission lines in Amargosa Valley and nearby 30
communities which will support numerous renewable power 31
generation projects in need of energy storage; and 32
WHEREAS, The current presidential administration has a focus 33
on promoting renewable energy and energy storage and is advancing 34
several projects to develop sources of renewable energy and 35
methods of storing energy across the country; and 36
WHEREAS, The current presidential administration demonstrated 37
this commitment by working with federal agencies to improve 38
coordination and prioritize review for renewable energy projects; 39
now, therefore, be it 40
RESOLVED BY THE SENATE AND ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF 41
NEVADA, JOINTLY, That the members of the 82nd Session of the 42
Nevada Legislature hereby urge the Federal Government to use 43
Yucca Mountain for the development and storage of renewable 44
energy; and be it further 45
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RESOLVED, That the Secretary of the Senate prepare and 1
transmit a copy of this resolution to the President of the United 2
States, Vice President of the United States as the presiding officer of 3
the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of 4
Representatives, the Secretary of Energy and each member of the 5
Nevada Congressional Delegation; and be it further 6
RESOLVED, That this act becomes effective upon passage. 7
H