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92_SR0342 LRB9216225BHbh 1 SENATE RESOLUTION 2 WHEREAS, In order to secure a safe and prosperous future 3 for its citizens, the State of Illinois must maintain a broad 4 portfolio of energy supply options to hedge against fuel 5 price fluctuations, fuel shortages, and import disruptions; 6 and 7 WHEREAS, Illinois' 11 nuclear power plants have proven to 8 be safe, dependable, economic, and environmentally benign 9 sources of electricity to Illinois' citizens and businesses, 10 producing nearly 50 percent of the electricity generated in 11 Illinois today; and 12 WHEREAS, Nuclear power requires minimal land intrusion, 13 and prevents the release of millions of tons of air 14 pollutants and greenhouse gases, thus being critical for 15 compliance with air quality laws and regulations; and 16 WHEREAS, Over $7 billion have been spent on studies of 17 Yucca Mountain, Nevada, that show that the proposed site is 18 an ideal repository to safely contain radioactive materials, 19 with a capacity sufficient to meet all foreseeable storage 20 needs; and 21 WHEREAS, Studies of Yucca Mountain have yielded the 22 scientific information necessary for a decision by the United 23 States Secretary of Energy that there are no technical or 24 scientific issues that will prevent Yucca Mountain from 25 serving as a permanent repository, clearly supporting the 26 recommendation by the Secretary to the President of the 27 United States to proceed on licensing a permanent repository 28 at Yucca Mountain; and 29 WHEREAS, Since 1983, consumers of electricity from 30 Illinois' existing nuclear plants have committed over $2.4 31 billion to the federal Nuclear Waste Fund to finance site -2- LRB9216225BHbh 1 assessment and nuclear waste management; therefore, be it 2 RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SECOND GENERAL 3 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that the members of the 4 Senate have determined that nuclear energy is a necessary 5 source of electricity generation, with no detrimental impact 6 on its citizens and environment; and be it further 7 RESOLVED, That the Illinois Senate urges the Congress of 8 the United States to sustain the President's affirmative 9 decision on Yucca Mountain's suitability as a permanent 10 federal repository for high-level radioactive materials; and 11 be it further 12 RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be delivered to 13 the President and Vice President of the United States, the 14 President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the 15 United States House of Representatives, all members of the 16 Illinois congressional delegation, and to the United States 17 Secretary of Energy.