Assembly History, Fifty-eighth Session 235 A. J. R. 15-Mann, Robinson, Price, Hickey, May, Getto, Jacobsen, Hayes, Moody, Chaney, Schofield, Benkovich, Dreyer, Howard, Heaney, Bennett, Christensen, Jeffrey, Vergiels, Sena, and Brook­ man, Feb. 26. Summary-Urges the Energy Research and Development Administration to choose the Nevada Test Site for disposal of nuclear wastes and for solar energy research under the Solar Energy Research, Develop­ meatt... and Demonstration Act of 1974. (BDR 1030) Feb. 26-Kead first time. Referred to u ent mmittces on · · o pnn er. Feb. - rom pnntcr. o comnuttces. 3 , 3/10, 3f1&1 VMar.17-From committees: Amend, and cio pass as amended. Placed on Second Reading File. Read second time. Amended. To printen' ""1dar. 18-From printer. To engrossment. Engrossed. Placed on General File. Read third time. Passed, as amended. Title approved, as amended. Preamble adopted. as amended. To Senate. Mar. 19-In Senate. Read first timc.,B.cferrcd to Committee on Govern­ ~ent Affairs. To committee. LIil~, 51t , s/rz.. v"'MayS-From committee: Amena, ano cto pass as amended. Read second time. Amended. To printer.' ./May 16--From printer. To re-engrossment. Re-engrossed Read third time. Passed, as amended. Title approved. Preamble adopted. To AMembly. ✓ May 17-In Assembly. Senate amendment concurred in. To enrollment. May 20-Enrolled and delivered to Governor. May 21-Approved by the Governor. File No. 184. ( A. J. R. lS • ASSE1\-1BL Y JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 15-ASSEMBLYMEN . MANN, ROBINSON, PRICE, HICKEY, MAY. GETTO, ( JACOBSEN, HAY ES, MOODY, CHANEY, SCHOFIELD, BENKOVICH, DREYER, HOWARD, HEANEY, BENNETT, CHRISTENSEN, JEFFREY, VERGIELS, SENA AND BROOK:­ MAN - FEBRUARY 26, 1975 Referred to Concurrent Committees on Environment and Public Resources and Commerce SUMMARY-Urges the Energy Research and Development Administration to choose the Nevada Test Site for disposal of nuclear wastes and for solar energy research under the Solar Energy Research, Development and Demonstration Act of 1974. (BDR 1030) EXPLANATION-Matter in itc,lics is new; matter in brackets [ ] is _-material to be omitted. ASSEMBLY JOINT RESOLUTION-Urging the Energy Research and Develop­ •- ment Administration to chocse the Nevada Test Site for disposal of nuclear wastes and for solar energy research under the Solar Energy Research, Devel­ opment and Demonstration Act of 1974. 1 WHEREAS, The now supplanted Atomic Energy Commission has, over ( . 2 the years, demonstrated an outstanding concern for nuclear safety and \ 3 has compiled, at the Nevada Test Site, an equally outstanding safety 4 record; and 5 WHEREAS, The people of Southern Nevada have confidence in the 6 safety record of the Nevada Test Site and in the ability of the staff of 7 the site to maintain safety in the handling of nuclear materials; and 8 WHEREAS, The unemployment rate in Clark County, Nevada, is 20.7 9 percent higher than the disturbingly high national unemployment rate; 10 and ·. 11 WHEREAS, The people and the leaders in many states being considered 12 as sites for nuclear disposal have serious anxieties and doubts about pro- 13 viding disposal sites; and 14 WHEREAS, The existing facilities and the years of expertise in nuclear 15 material handling at (he Nevada Test Site are a tremendous existing 16 resource; and 17 WHEREAS, Southern Nevada also offers an excellent environment in • 18 which to explore the potential of solar energy; and \ \ --2-- 1 WHEREAS, National energy independence and a clean environment are 2 dependent upon tapping nonfossil fuel sources of energy for heating, cool- 3 ing and electricity; and ( -• 4 WHEREAS, The existing facilities of the Nevada Test Site and its sup- 5 port infrastructure are available and well suited to scientific research in 6 addition to nuclear projects; and 7 WHEREAS, Nuclear waste disposal nad solar energy research can both 8 be carried out at the Nevada Test Site with minimal capital investment 9 relative to other locations; now, therefore, be it 10 Resolved by the Assembly and the Senate of the State of Nevada, 11 jointly, That the legislature of the State of Nevada strongly urges the 12 Energy Research and Development Administration to choose the Nevada 13 Test Site for the disposal of nuclear wastes; and be it further 14 Resolved, That under the provisions of the Solar Energy Research, 15 Development and Demonstration Act of 197 4 the Energy Research and 16 Development Administration utilize the extensive resources and facilities· 17 of the Nevada Test Site to explore the potential uses of solar energy; and 18 be it further 19 Resolved, That copies of this resolution be prepared and transmitted 20 by the legislative counsel to the administrator of the Energy Research and 21 Development Administration, to the assistant administrators for nuclear 22 energy and for solar, geothermal and advanced energy systems and to all 23 members of Nevada's congressiorlal delegation; and be it further 24 Resolved, That this act shall become effective upon passage and • 25 approval . ( ( • 2 ASSEMBLY ENVIRONMENT & PUBLIC RESOURCES CQI/I_JHTTEE MEETING MINUTES DATE: Friday, March 7, 1975 ;;_.;.-2 ~~- MEMBERS PRESENT: Chairman Bremner, Messrs Coulter, Jacob­ sen, Weise, Banner, Jeffrey, Heaney and Price; MEMBERS .ABSENT: None MEMBER EXCUSED: Mr. Chaney The meeting was called =o order at 2:40 p.m. in Room 214 by Chairman Bremner. He read the the-summary of AJR 15 to be dis­ cussed today. He called upon Mahlon E. Gates, of the Nevada Opera­ tions Office of the Energy Research and Development Administration (ERDA) for testimony. Mr. Gates informed the Committee that ERDA has taken the place of the Atomic Energy Com~ission (AEC) in operations and it includes represefit~tives from the EPA, Department of the Interior and the National Science Foundation as well as ~ix presidential appoint­ ments. E~DA presently falls under the jurisdiction of the Assis­ tant Administrator for Environment and Safety. Under a survey taken and report made in September known as WASH 1539, "Management of Commercial High LeveJ_ and Trans uranium Contaminated Radioactive Wastes'', much public concern has been caused. The report is two­ fold: 1) One part consists of using technology which is readily available now to provide fully retrievable storage at some central place and 2) During the time made available by the retrie~able storage, siveral of the most promising geological formations will be evaluated and a pilot program will be put into effect to put - -----~,-- high-level waste into a geological formation. If this pilot program is successful on a specific site, that site would become the per­ manent disposal site. All the high-level waste stored retrievable up to that time would be transferred to the permanent disposal site. This facility would be active for approximately 100 years. Regarding site selections, Mr. Gates stated that 100 sites had been studied by the AEC; three sites were tentatively identified a~ warranting further study. These were: Idaho Falls, Idaho; Richland, Washington, and the ~cvada Test Sit~, Nevada. Regarding the economic impact effecting the site finally designated, Mr. Gates stated that the totel program over the next 30 to 40 years wouid he $1.5 billion; that con~truction costs would approximate $100 million over the same period and that costs of the project would be levied by the Government to the energy producers. 3 ASSEMBLY ENVIRONMENT & PUDLIC RESOUT"l.CES COI-1MITTEE MEE'rING IHNU'l'ES - Friday, March 7, 1975 Page 2 M.r. Gates shoued the following 13 slides: Usage of nuclear energy from 1953 of 7% to 25% in the year 2010; 2) Nuclear Fuel Cycle~ why the waste storage problem; 3) Typical Cannister ex­ plaining the reduction of waste to a glass-like substance 10' x 12" with ten reactors per year in one cannister; 4) Growth in the Number of Cannisters since 1880 from a few to a projected figure of 75,000 in 2010; 5) slide of. a typical spent fuel cask mounted on a railroad car with 12 cannisters on one cask; 6) a cutaway view of a retrievable surface storage facility, {There are two types of storage - air or water); 7) Water Basin Storage Heat Removal System in its native form; 8) *Air Cooled Vault Concept - no mecha.nics involved - 3/8" thick; 9) Sealed storage cask concept where the waste is sealed in a cylinder and surrounded by a 2'' thick additional cannister; 10) slide showing the three sites presently u:-ider consideration, Idaho Falls, Rich­ land, Washington and Nevada Test Site, Nevada; 11) slide showing a map of the Nevada Test Site; 12) slide showing EMAD facilities at the NTS. (Mr. Gates stated that their program up to now is completed at the NTS); 13) slide showing the interior of a ''hot bay" in the EJ'E-1,.D Building, cask carrying canisters. Mr. Gates continued and informed the committee that he re­ cently conducted a survey routing a railroad through Southern Nevada by-passing Las Vegas which will be submitted to his office in Washington. This by~passing of Las Vegas was one of the require­ ments stated by the Governor for consideration of the NTS as a storage area. He stateo that two days ago he spoke to two men in Washington responsible for this program and he was told it appears ~( review of the EPA impact study would be required and that there would be a possible delay of one year or more on the project; that it looks doubtful that it would be in the 1977 budget. Mr. Coulter asked Mr. Gates if the Federal Government could insist that the storage area be established in Nevada if Nevada does not approve. Mr. Gates stated that the Federal Government is mindful of public opinion and that he has considerable weight on their decisions.