H.J.R. 17

1

RESOLUTION URGING COOPERATION ON
2 SITING OF RADIOACTIVE WASTE FACILITY
3 1998 GENERAL SESSION
4 STATE OF UTAH
5 Sponsor: Eli H. Anderson
6 A JOINT RESOLUTION OF THE LEGISLATURE ENCOURAGING FEDERAL
7 REGULATORS, THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS, FEDERAL AND STATE COURTS
8 AND AGENCIES, AND UTAH'S CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION TO CONSIDER THE
9 IMPACT ANY NUCLEAR WASTE STORAGE FACILITY IN SKULL VALLEY WILL
10 HAVE ON PRIVATE LAND OWNERS IN SKULL VALLEY, AND ENCOURAGING
11 MITIGATION OF EFFECTS THE FACILITY WOULD HAVE ON THESE PROPERTIES.
12 Be it resolved by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
13 WHEREAS Private Fuel Storage, a consortium of out-of-state utilities, has proposed to
14 establish a nuclear waste storage facility on the territory of the Skull Valley Goshute Tribe located
15 in Skull Valley, Tooele County, Utah;
16 WHEREAS such a storage facility would have a significant impact on private land owners
17 in Skull Valley, including potential impacts on water quality and quantity, current and potential
18 farming and ranching activities, transportation, quality of living, health, safety, general welfare,
19 loss of future opportunities associated with the land, and impacts on the current and future value
20 of the property;
21 WHEREAS the consortium has ignored these impacts in its license application and has not
22 been willing to appropriately deal with the private land owners in Skull Valley;
23 WHEREAS it is reasonable to expect that the consortium will provide economic mitigation
24 of the impact on the Skull Valley Goshute Tribal land, including direct compensation to the tribe;
25 WHEREAS the private land owners in Skull Valley will have similar impacts to those of
26 the Skull Valley Goshute Tribe and should therefore have those impacts mitigated and be fully
27 compensated by the consortium for the loss of value to their property; and

1 WHEREAS it is in the interest of the state as a whole to protect and preserve these
2 ranching and farming lands:
3 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of the state of Utah urge
4 the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the United States Congress, Utah's congressional delegation,
5 any federal or state courts or agencies involved to ensure that private land owners in Skull Valley
6 be considered in any analysis of impacts of any proposed nuclear storage facility and be fully
7 compensated by the consortium for the loss of value to their property and any damages, including
8 lost opportunities, they will suffer as a result of the proposal to establish, or the actual
9 establishment, of a nuclear waste repository in Skull Valley.
10 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be presented to the Skull
11 Valley Goshute Tribe, the Private Fuel Storage Consortium, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission,
12 the United States Congress, the Department of Energy, the Utah Department of Environmental
13 Quality, and Utah's congressional delegation.




Legislative Review Note
as of 2-10-98 5:50 PM

A limited legal review of this bill raises no obvious constitutional or statutory concerns.

Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel

- 2 -