HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 10-17-1995 - V-A 1
ORANGE COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
Action Agenda
Item No V-A
ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT
Meeting Date: October 17 , 1995
SUBJECT: Resolution Opposing the Siting of a Radioactive Waste
Disposal Facility at the Wake/Chatham County Site
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DEPARTMENT County Commissioners PUBLIC HEARING YES NO X
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ATTACHMENT( S) INFORMATION CONTACT
Resolution Commissioner Gordon, 933-0550
County Manager, ext 2300
TELEPHONE NUMBER
Hillsborough 732-8181
Chapel Hill 968-4501
Mebane 227-2031
Durham 688-7331
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PURPOSE: To consider adopting a resolution opposing the continued
consideration of the proposed Wake/Chatham site for a low-level
radioactive waste disposal facility.
BACKGROUND: At the October 2 meeting, the Board of Commissioners
considered a request by Congressman Heineman to adopt a resolution
opposing the siting of a low-level radioactive waste disposal site
near the Wake-Chatham line. Instead of that resolution, the Board
voted to send a letter to Congressman Heineman requesting that he
introduce legislation that would modify the federal Low-Level
Radioactive Waste Policy Act to address local government concerns.
Commissioner Gordon suggested that she work with the County Manager to
prepare an alternative resolution for consideration at the next
Commissioners' meeting, and the Board agreed. The attached resolution
reflects that collaboration.
RECOMMENDATION: The Manager recommends that the Board adopt the
attached resolution.
2
RESOLUTION OF THE ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
OPPOSING
THE SITING OF A RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL FACILITY
AT THE
WAKE/CHATHAM COUNTY SITE
WHEREAS,a site located on the Wake County side of the border of Wake and Chatham Counties is
under consideration for use as a"low-level" radioactive waste disposal facility and a license application
to establish and operate a facility at that site has been submitted by Chem-Nuclear Systems, Inc.; and
WHEREAS, citizens and local elected officials of Chatham, Wake and Orange Counties have serious
concerns regarding the potential negative impacts of utilizing this particular site for a waste disposal
facility and have closely monitored the process of developing sitestudies, waste handling and
transportation plans, as well as the licensing review process; and
WHEREAS,consultants who are not under contract to Chem-Nuclear Systems, Inc. butwho are
experts in low-level radioactive waste generation, disposal and regulation, hydrogeology and other
fields germane to this siting and licensing process have found that the proposed site is not optimal for
burial of wastes and that its proposed capacity is far greater than necessary to contain- as initially
intended -the low-level radioactive waste generated in twenty years by the Southeast Compact states;
and
WHEREAS,the proposed site does not, in the expert opinion of many consultants and state regulators,
meet licensing requirements that will provide reasonable assurances that the health, safety and welfare
of the citizens of the region will be adequately safeguarded; and
WHEREAS,the continued investigation and consideration of this site will result in the expenditure of
enormous sums of public funds;
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED by the Orange County Board of Commissioners that the
Board opposes the continued consideration, under the current matrix of site suitability and use parameters,
of the Wake/Chatham site for a low-level radioactive waste disposal facility; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Board requests that The Honorable Fred Heineman introduce
legislation modifying the federal Low-Level Radioactive Waste Policy Act to provide for: 1) a national
low level waste repository in a location not constrained by ground water concerns or other consequential
environmental factors; 2)the regulatory permissibility of establishing single-state low-level radioactive
waste disposal facilities; and 3)the establishment of'standards requiring minimal concentration levels,
volume reduction and waste form stabilization of all radioactive contaminated materials destined for
subsurface disposal.
This the 17th day of October, 1995
* Moses Carey,Jr., Chair