Res 92-084RESOLUTION NO. 92-084
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE
CITY OF POWAY, CALIFORNIA, 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 imaging exams in San Diego county each year as
well as in therapeutic procedures and in hundreds of thousands of
other medical lab tests; and,
WHEREAS, the safe disposal of such low-level radioactive waste
is a major concern to both industry and government; and,
WHEREAS, under the 1980 Federal Low-Level Radioactive Waste
Policy Act, and the Federal Low-Level Radioactive Waste Policy
Amendments Act of 1985 (P.L. 990-240), each state was required to
identify, construct, and place in operation a low-level hazardous
waste 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 result of the state's default on its
statutory obligation; and,
WHEREAS, said deadline is now less than nine months away; and,
WHEREAS, unless California licenses and permits the operation
of a new disposal facility for low-level radioactive waste by
January 1, 1993, 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 safely 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, and medical
diagnosis and treatment; and,
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
Resolution No. 92-084
Page 2
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 medical community and the biomedical and
biotechnical industries that the County of San Diego supports and
values their contribution to the medical, scientific, and research
and economic health of the County.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the City Council of the
City of Poway does hereby urge the Governor of the State of
California to take positive action to develop 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 develop a disposal site as
required by federal and state legislation for the disposal of low-
level radioactive waste.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of
Poway does hereby urge all other jurisdictions in the County of San
Diego to 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 California Medical Association, San Diego Biomedical Industry
Council, San Diego Biocommerce Association and the University of
California at San Diego, the Salk Institute and the Scripps
Institute of Medicine and Science.
PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED, at a~.egulaF Meeting of the City
Council of the City of Poway, Califorh~a, t~is 26th day of May,
~ i ~ ' ~n.~o~]~smith,...~ -- Mayor
ATTEST:
Marjo Wahlsten, City Clerk
Resolution No. 92- 084
Page 3
STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
)
COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO )
I, Marjorie K. Wahlsten, City Clerk of the City of Poway, do
hereby certify under penalty of perjury that the foregoing
Resolution, No. 92- 084 , was duly adopted by the City Council at
a meeting of said City Council held on the 26th day of May, 1992,
and that it was so adopted by the following vote:
AYES:
EMERY, HIGGINSON, MCINTYRE, SNESKO, GOLDSMITH
NOES: NONE
ABSTAIN: NONE
ABSENT: NONE
MarJor~e/ K. Wahlsten, City Clerk
City o~oway