BILL NUMBER: SJR 13	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Senator McClintock
   (Principal coauthor: Assembly Member Leonard)
   (Coauthors: Senators Ackerman, Battin, Brulte, Haynes,
Johannessen, Johnson, Knight, Margett, Monteith, Morrow, Oller, and
Poochigian)
   (Coauthors: Assembly Members Aanestad, Briggs, Cogdill, Cox,
Daucher, Dickerson, Hollingsworth, Kelley, Leslie, Mountjoy, Robert
Pacheco, Richman, Runner, Strickland, and Wyman)

                        MAY 10, 2001

   Senate Joint Resolution No. 13--Relative to the Yucca Mountain
radioactive materials repository.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   SJR 13, as introduced, McClintock.  Yucca Mountain radioactive
materials repository: nuclear facilities.
   This measure would urge the United States Secretary of Energy to
expedite the review of the scientific data regarding Yucca Mountain's
suitability as a permanent federal repository, and would memorialize
the President of the United States to move forward with the
licensing of Yucca Mountain as a permanent repository.  The measure
would also declare the intent of the Legislature that the California
Energy Commission make an expedited finding that the State of
California is ready to accept nuclear facilities, upon successful
completion of the federal government's actions.
   Fiscal committee:  yes.




   WHEREAS, California's acute shortage of electricity generating
capacity presents an immediate threat to the health and safety of its
citizens and the prosperity of its economy; and
   WHEREAS, In order to secure a safe and prosperous future for its
citizens, California must dramatically expand its capacity to
generate clean, cheap, and abundant electricity; and
   WHEREAS, California needs a broad portfolio of energy supply
options to hedge against fuel price fluctuations, fuel shortages, and
import disruptions; and
   WHEREAS, California's nuclear powerplants have proven to be safe,
dependable, economic, and environmentally benign sources of
electricity to California citizens, producing 16 percent of the
electricity generated in California today; and
   WHEREAS, Nuclear power requires minimal land intrusion, and
prevents the release of millions of tons of air pollutants and
greenhouse gases, thus being critical for compliance with air quality
laws and regulations; and
   WHEREAS, New advanced standardized nuclear powerplant designs with
increased safety and reliability features have been recently
certified by the gNuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and are ready
to meet the strict siting requirements set forth by the NRC in its
regulations; and
   WHEREAS, California law precludes approval of new nuclear
powerplants until an appropriate site for a high level nuclear waste
repository has been approved by the federal government; and
   WHEREAS, Over seven billion dollars ($7,000,000,000) have been
spent on studies of Yucca Mountain, Nevada that show that the
proposed site is an ideal repository to safely contain radioactive
materials, with a capacity sufficient to meet all foreseeable storage
needs; and
   WHEREAS, Studies of Yucca Mountain have yielded the scientific
information necessary for a decision by the United States Secretary
of Energy that there are no technical or scientific issues that will
prevent Yucca Mountain from serving as a permanent repository,
clearly supporting a recommendation by the Secretary to the President
of the United States to proceed on licensing a permanent repository
at Yucca Mountain; and
   WHEREAS, Since 1983, consumers of electricity from California's
existing nuclear plants have committed more than eight hundred
seventeen million dollars ($817,000,000) into the federal Nuclear
Waste Fund to finance site assessment and nuclear waste management;
now, therefore, be it
   Resolved by the Senate and Assembly of the State of California,
jointly, That the Legislature of the State of California hereby
determines that nuclear energy is a necessary source of electricity
generation, with no detrimental impact on its citizens and
environment; and be it further
   Resolved, That the Legislature of the State of California urges
the United States Secretary of Energy to expedite the review of the
scientific data regarding Yucca Mountain's suitability as a permanent
federal repository and make his recommendation to the President this
year; and be it further
   Resolved, That the Legislature of the State of California
memorializes the President of the United States to move forward with
the licensing of Yucca Mountain as an ideal site for a permanent
repository; and be it further
   Resolved, That the Legislature of the State of California hereby
declares its intent that, upon successful completion of the federal
government's actions finding that Yucca Mountain is an acceptable
site for the licensing of a permanent high level waste repository,
the California Energy Commission should make an expedited finding, in
accordance with Section 25524.2 of the Public Resources Code, that
the State of California is hereby ready to accept nuclear facilities
certified by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission on sites approved by
the commission, for the purpose of providing clean, abundant,
reliable, and affordable electricity for the families of California,
and be it further
   Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this
resolution to the President and Vice President of the United States,
the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, to each
Senator and Representative from California in the Congress of the
United States, and to the United States Secretary of Energy.