S.J.R. 7
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SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 7–SENATOR OHRENSCHALL
PREFILED FEBRUARY 3, 2025
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Referred to Committee on Legislative Operations and Elections
SUMMARY—Urges the Federal Government to recognize the
unsuitability of Yucca Mountain as the site for a
repository to store and dispose of spent nuclear fuel
and high-level radioactive waste. (BDR R-945)
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 recognize the unsuitability of Yucca Mountain as the
site for a repository to store and dispose of spent nuclear
fuel and high-level radioactive waste.
WHEREAS, Since 1954, when the Atomic Energy Act was 1
passed by Congress, the Federal Government has been responsible 2
for the disposal of radioactive waste, yet few environmental 3
challenges have proven more daunting than the problems posed by 4
the disposal of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste; 5
and 6
WHEREAS, In July 2002, despite seemingly inadequate standards 7
set by the Environmental Protection Agency and on the 8
recommendation of the Secretary of Energy, President Bush signed 9
legislation designating Yucca Mountain as a suitable site for the 10
nation’s only repository for spent nuclear fuel and high-level 11
radioactive waste without regard to the constant and vigorous 12
objections of the political leaders and residents of the State of 13
Nevada, and ignoring the underlying geologic isolation 14
requirements set by Congress; and 15
WHEREAS, The recommendation of Yucca Mountain was not 16
only premature but also flawed, especially given the Department of 17
Energy’s failure to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the 18
socioeconomic, environmental and public health and safety impacts, 19
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both within Nevada and within communities along national shipping 1
routes; and 2
WHEREAS, Not only is the proposed repository in one of the 3
most geologically active areas in the nation, but according to the 4
Agency for Nuclear Projects, it is “the only repository under 5
consideration in the world that is located above the water table, not 6
below it”; and 7
WHEREAS, Even if the risks related to geologic disposal are 8
ignored, the designation of Yucca Mountain is of particular concern 9
because of its location within an area rife with seismic and 10
hydrothermal activity and because of its proximity to numerous 11
fractures and earthquake faults, which could lead to underground 12
contamination; and 13
WHEREAS, As more problems are revealed, the Department of 14
Energy has gravitated from the concept of geologic isolation and 15
now is relying almost exclusively on “engineered barriers” to keep 16
radiological materials from migrating out of a repository and into 17
the environment, essentially ignoring the foundational 18
recommendation of the National Academy of Sciences that 19
manmade materials not be used to compensate for faulty geology or 20
hydrology; and 21
WHEREAS, The Department of Energy contends it is better to 22
have all nuclear waste at a single location rather than scattered 23
around the country, yet this contention is flawed because Yucca 24
Mountain will have limited capacity, contradicting the “one safe 25
site” idea; and 26
WHEREAS, The Department of Energy has stated that most of 27
the nation’s spent nuclear fuel is safely and securely stored at more 28
than 70 reactor sites across the country and that, for the foreseeable 29
future, the spent fuel can safely stay at the reactor sites until a 30
permanent disposal solution is determined by the federal 31
government; and 32
WHEREAS, The waste that would be shipped to Yucca Mountain 33
is located at more than 70 sites across 35 states and, if transported, 34
will impact at least 44 states and 703 counties; and 35
WHEREAS, A 2002 report from the Agency for Nuclear Projects 36
found that Nevada’s economy stands to lose upwards of $5.5 billion 37
annually as a result of the stigmatizing effects of the repository and 38
the transportation of nuclear waste through the State; and 39
WHEREAS, As early as 1986, the Department of Energy 40
acknowledged the potential for impacts to a tourism-dependent 41
economy, an issue of great concern in Nevada, stating “the potential 42
for adverse public perception of a repository and its associated 43
waste transportation could adversely affect the tourism industry”; 44
and 45
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WHEREAS, Nevada’s tourism industry generated nearly $91 1
billion in statewide economic activity and supported more than 2
386,000 jobs in 2022, which means any impacts that reduce the 3
number of visitors, especially to Las Vegas, would have major 4
economic consequences for this State; and 5
WHEREAS, The Las Vegas Valley is one of the fastest growing 6
areas in the nation, which further raises concerns because Yucca 7
Mountain is located just 90 miles northwest of the Valley; and 8
WHEREAS, In April 2011, Congress ended federal funding for 9
the Yucca Mountain site, pausing licensing activities for the 10
proposed repository indefinitely into the future; and 11
WHEREAS, As recently as April 2024, leaders at a hearing of the 12
House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy, Climate 13
and Grid Security pitched restarting the conversation on resuming 14
work towards opening the Yucca Mountain repository; and 15
WHEREAS, The Federal Government is not prepared to deal 16
with, or even fully aware of, the effects of the Yucca Mountain 17
project on society and this country; now, therefore, be it 18
RESOLVED BY THE SENATE AND ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF 19
NEVADA, JOINTLY, That the numerous hurdles, potential health and 20
safety issues, widespread economic impacts and logistical and 21
transportation challenges are cause for reconsidering Yucca 22
Mountain as the proposed site for a nuclear waste repository; and be 23
it further 24
RESOLVED, That Nevada has already borne more than its fair 25
share of this nation’s radioactive waste burdens, including, hosting 26
hundreds of nuclear weapons tests during the Cold War and hosting 27
the world’s largest low-level and mixed radioactive waste disposal 28
facility at the Nevada Test Site, which is also controlled by the 29
Department of Energy; and be it further 30
RESOLVED, That the issue of how to dispose of nuclear waste, 31
the deadliest substance known to mankind, is of great importance, 32
requiring decisions to be based on “sound science,” as was promised 33
Nevada and the nation in 2000, before it is put on the roads, 34
railways and waterways of this country; and be it further 35
RESOLVED, That with the abundance of safe, economical dry 36
storage facilities at existing reactor sites, there is no current spent 37
fuel emergency and nuclear power plants face no risk of shutdown, 38
the members of the 83rd Session of the Nevada Legislature hereby 39
urge President Trump and Congress and all involved agencies to 40
recognize the unsuitability of Yucca Mountain as the site for a 41
repository to store and dispose of spent nuclear fuel and high-level 42
radioactive waste; and be it further 43
RESOLVED, That the Secretary of the Senate prepare and 44
transmit a copy of this resolution to the President of the United 45
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States, the Vice President of the United States as the presiding 1
officer of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, 2
the Secretary of Energy and each member of the Nevada 3
Congressional Delegation; and be it further 4
RESOLVED, That this resolution becomes effective upon 5
passage. 6
H