Minnesota Session Laws - 1985, 1st Special Session

 

                         Laws of Minnesota 1985 

                        RESOLUTION 1-S.F.No. 13 
 A resolution memorializing the United States 
Department of Energy of Minnesota's opposition to the 
siting of a high-level radioactive waste disposal site 
in Minnesota pursuant to the Nuclear Waste Policy Act 
of 1982.  
    WHEREAS, a safe and reliable solution to the problem of 
high-level radioactive waste disposal is crucial to the health 
and welfare of all citizens; and 
    WHEREAS, the United States Department of Energy is 
considering Minnesota for one of two national permanent 
repositories for high-level radioactive waste; and 
    WHEREAS, high-level radioactive waste must be isolated from 
the environment for thousands of years to prevent danger for 
future generations; and 
    WHEREAS, the suitability of granite as a disposal medium 
will never be certain because of unresolved technical issues, 
including the difficulty of characterizing groundwater flow; and 
    WHEREAS, the potential impact of a failure of isolating a 
waste repository on surface and groundwater resources would be 
severe and irreparable because release of the waste would 
contaminate the environment and can never be retrieved; and 
    WHEREAS, Minnesota encompasses the headwaters of three 
major North American watersheds and contains over 15,000 lakes, 
over 90,000 miles of waterways, and nearly 9,000 square miles of 
wetlands; and 
    WHEREAS, the quality of Minnesota's extensive surface water 
and groundwater resources is critical to the economy, health, 
and welfare of the state; and 
    WHEREAS, repositories located in arid regions of the United 
States would greatly increase the margin of safety at a nuclear 
waste disposal site; and 
    WHEREAS, the Governor and Legislature are responsible for 
protecting the economy, health, safety, and general welfare of 
the citizens of Minnesota during the federal radioactive waste 
repository siting process and at all times; NOW, THEREFORE, 
    BE IT RESOLVED by the Legislature of the State of Minnesota 
that it declares Minnesota to be in opposition to the siting of 
a high-level radioactive waste repository within the boundaries 
of the state because of concern over the effect of radiation 
releases from a repository on the headwaters and downstream of 
our three major North American watersheds and on the economy, 
health, safety, and general welfare of the citizens of Minnesota.
    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of State is 
directed to prepare certified copies of this memorial and 
transmit them to the Secretary of the United States Department 
of Energy and to Minnesota's Senators and Representatives in 
Congress. 
    Approved without governor's signature June 27, 1985