HomeMy WebLinkAboutReso 1992-16556 RESOLUTION NO. 16556
RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CHULA
VISTA URGING SUPPORT FOR THE GOVERNOR'S IDENTIFICATION
OF A DISPOSAL SITE FOR LOW-LEVEL HAZARDOUS WASTE WITHIN
THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA AND ENCOURAGING OTHER
JURISDICTIONS TO SUPPORT SAME
WHEREAS, mildly radioactive materials are now used in roughly 5,000
diagnostic imagining exams in San Diego each year as well as in 50,000
therapeutic procedures and in hundreds of thousands of other lab tests; and,
WHEREAS, the safe disposal of such low-level radioactive waste is a major
concern to both industry and government; and,
WHEREAS, biomedical and biotechnical industries that use low-level
radioactive materials are critical to California's economic, institutional and
scientific livelihood; and,
WHEREAS, under the 1980 Federal Low-Level Radioactive Waste Policy Act, and
the Federal Low-Level Radioactive Waste Policy Amendments Act of lg85 (P.L.
gg0240), each state was required to identify, construct, and place in operation
a low-level hazardous waste disposal facility by January 1, 1993; and,
WHEREAS, in 1983, the California Legislature, responding to the
requirements of said Federal mandate, enacted a statute mandating the development
of a disposal facility for low-level radioactive waste; and,
WHEREAS, pursuant to Article IV of the Southwestern Compact Consent Act
(P.L. 100-712), should California fail to open a disposal facility by January 1,
1993, the state will be in default of its statutory obligations permitting public
and private organizations that generate low-level waste in the four Compact
states to prosecute a claim against the State of California for whatever
financial burdens they might have to bear due to lack of disposal capacity as a
resultof state's default on its statutory obligation; and,
WHEREAS, said deadline is now less than eleven months away; and,
WHEREAS, unless California licenses and permits the operation of a new
disposal facility for low-level radioactive waste by January 1, lgg3, hundreds
of public and private organizations in California, Arizona, North Dakota and
South Dakota that use radioactive materials and produce low-level waste will have
no place to safety and legally dispose of these wastes and as a result will face
significant financial loss, not to mention the isolated storage and the prospect
of illegal dumping of said waste; and,
WHEREAS, such a licensed facility will insure California's leading
institutions can continue to provide the benefits to the society from biomedical
and biotechnical research, testing and treatment; and,
Resolution No. 16556
Page 2
WHEREAS, the establishment of such facility will protect against the risk
of on site storage of such waste; and,
WHEREAS, such a facility will protect our environment by maximizing the
state's ability to police and control such wastes; and,
WHEREAS, all jurisdictions in the County of San Diego should present a
united front on this issue to the Governor of California to demonstrate to the
biomedical and biotechnical industries that the County of San Diego supports and
values their contribution to the economic, scientific and research community of
the County.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of Chula
Vista does hereby urge the Governor of the State of California to take positive
action to designate a disposal site within the State of California.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Mayor should author a letter to the
Governor urging that the Governor designate a disposal site as required by
federal and state legislation for the disposal of low-level radioactive hazardous
waste.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of Chula Vista
does hereby urge all other jurisdictions in the County of San Diego take similar
actions.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies be provided to all municipal and county
governments in the County of San Diego, and to the San Diego Biomedical Industry
Council, San Diego Biocommerce Association and the University of California at
San Diego, Salk Institute, Biotechnical Industry Association and the La Jolla
Institute of Allergy and Immunology.
Presented by ~~~~.~s~fil by
/
oogaard
Councilmember City Atto ney
Resolution No. 16556
Page 3
PASSED, APPROVED and ADOPTED by the City Council of the City of Chula
Vista, California, this 24th day of March, lgg2, by the following vote:
YES: Councilmembers: Grasser Horton, Malcolm, Moore,
Rindone, Nader
NOES: Councilmember: None
ABSENT: Councilmembers: None
ABSTAIN: Councilmembers: None
Tim Nader, Mayor
ATTEST:
Beve . Authelet, City Clerk
STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO ) ss.
CITY OF CHULA VISTA )
I, Beverly A. Authelet, City Clerk of the City of Chula Vista, California, do
hereby certify that the foregoing Resolution No. 16556 was duly passed, approved,
and adopted by the City Council held on the 24th day of March, 1992.
Executed this 24th day of March, 1992.
Beverly/(.. Authelet, City Clerk