Florida Senate - 2016                                    SM 1706
       
       
        
       By Senator Sachs
       
       34-01701-16                                           20161706__
    1                           Senate Memorial                         
    2         A memorial to the Congress of the United States,
    3         urging Congress to stop increases in the federal loan
    4         guarantee program for new nuclear energy facilities
    5         and rescind any remaining funds, eliminate funding for
    6         mixed oxide plutonium fuel fabrication plants, support
    7         energy efficiency and renewable sources of energy,
    8         fund nuclear waste immobilization, increase funding
    9         for environmental cleanup programs, enact a moratorium
   10         by the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission on
   11         nuclear waste operations until an appropriate, safe
   12         way to transport and permanently store nuclear waste
   13         is established and existing nuclear power plants and
   14         temporary storage sites can be secured against
   15         terrorist attacks, direct the United States Department
   16         of Energy to monitor and ensure compliance with all
   17         cleanup agreements and legacy management requirements,
   18         and authorize a nationwide study to be conducted by
   19         the United States National Security Council, the
   20         United States Central Intelligence Agency, the United
   21         States Department of Defense, the United States
   22         Defense Intelligence Agency, and the United States
   23         Department of Homeland Security to determine the best
   24         energy mix with regard to national security.
   25  
   26         WHEREAS, the President of the United States and the United
   27  States Congress have taken the positive step of ending all
   28  funding for the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository site,
   29  which has already cost taxpayers $96.2 billion, in an effort to
   30  provide taxpayers relief and protect our environment, and
   31         WHEREAS, taxpayer dollars are being spent to fund the
   32  construction of mixed oxide plutonium fuel fabrication plants
   33  which will only exacerbate the environmental degradation of the
   34  areas surrounding the sites, and
   35         WHEREAS, investing in less expensive, faster, cleaner, and
   36  safer renewable energy alternatives other than nuclear power and
   37  immobilizing nuclear waste should be our foremost economic and
   38  national security priorities, and
   39         WHEREAS, sufficient funding for environmental cleanup is
   40  necessary to ensure compliance with cleanup agreements and
   41  legacy management requirements, and
   42         WHEREAS, the United States Department of Energy has failed
   43  to adequately ensure that our environmental cleanup obligations
   44  are met and has fallen short on achieving the promise of
   45  renewable energy, NOW, THEREFORE,
   46  
   47  Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   48  
   49         That the Congress of the United States is urged to:
   50         (1) Stop increases in the federal loan guarantee program
   51  for the construction of new nuclear energy facilities and
   52  rescind any remaining funds.
   53         (2) Eliminate funding for mixed oxide plutonium fuel
   54  fabrication plants.
   55         (3) Support energy efficiency and renewable sources of
   56  energy.
   57         (4) Fund nuclear waste immobilization.
   58         (5) Increase funding for environmental cleanup programs.
   59         (6) Enact a moratorium by the United States Nuclear
   60  Regulatory Commission on nuclear waste operations until an
   61  appropriate, safe way to transport and permanently store nuclear
   62  waste is established and existing nuclear power plants and
   63  temporary storage sites can be secured against terrorist
   64  attacks.
   65         (7) Direct the United States Department of Energy to
   66  monitor and ensure compliance with all cleanup agreements and
   67  legacy management requirements.
   68         (8) Authorize a nationwide study to be conducted by the
   69  United States National Security Council, the United States
   70  Central Intelligence Agency, the United States Department of
   71  Defense, the United States Defense Intelligence Agency, and the
   72  United States Department of Homeland Security to determine the
   73  best energy mix with regard to national security.
   74         BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be
   75  dispatched to the President of the United States, to the
   76  President of the United States Senate, to the Speaker of the
   77  United States House of Representatives, and to each member of
   78  the Florida delegation to the United States Congress.