By Walker H.C.R. No. 202 75R11502 EFD-D HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 1-1 WHEREAS, Compliance with international disarmament treaties 1-2 to curtail the proliferation of nuclear arms and defuse weapons of 1-3 mass destruction has created new challenges for the United States 1-4 related to the dismantling and cleanup of nuclear missiles; and 1-5 WHEREAS, The development, production, and disassembling of 1-6 nuclear weapons produce transuranic waste, a highly radioactive 1-7 conglomeration of contaminated laboratory gloves, tools, dried 1-8 sludge, and other substances from testing and production 1-9 facilities; and 1-10 WHEREAS, To create a safe and environmentally responsible 1-11 method for permanently disposing of transuranic waste, the United 1-12 States Department of Energy (DOE) has designed the Waste Isolation 1-13 Pilot Plant (WIPP) in southern New Mexico that will set the 1-14 standard for deep geologic disposal of defense-related radioactive 1-15 waste; and 1-16 WHEREAS, The transuranic waste to be deposited at the WIPP 1-17 facility will be shipped by truck from all across the country, 1-18 travelling through many states, including Texas, which is a major 1-19 thoroughfare for radioactive materials coming from South Carolina, 1-20 Tennessee, Illinois, and Ohio; and 1-21 WHEREAS, While a majority of the proposed route through Texas 1-22 is on Interstate 20, a segment runs along U.S. Highway 285; this 1-23 portion of the route, which begins in Pecos, Texas, and continues 1-24 into New Mexico, is a treacherous and narrow two-lane road; and 2-1 WHEREAS, The State of New Mexico, in a prudent move to 2-2 protect the public safety of its citizens, has dedicated part of 2-3 the impact funds received from the DOE for housing the WIPP to 2-4 widen its section of U.S. 285; this highway is a dangerous and 2-5 inadequate road that has already been the scene of one accident 2-6 involving an empty WIPP transport truck; and 2-7 WHEREAS, There are currently no federal funds allocated for 2-8 the State of Texas to take the same necessary safety precautions by 2-9 widening the section of U.S. 285 running through our state; the 2-10 health and safety of United States citizens residing in the Lone 2-11 Star State is no less important than that of our neighbors to the 2-12 northwest; now, therefore, be it 2-13 RESOLVED, That the 75th Legislature of the State of Texas 2-14 hereby respectfully request the Congress of the United States to 2-15 allocate funds for road expansion in Texas along the designated 2-16 route for transporting hazardous waste to the WIPP project; and, be 2-17 it further 2-18 RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official 2-19 copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, to 2-20 the speaker of the house of representatives and the president of 2-21 the senate of the United States Congress, and to all members of the 2-22 Texas delegation to the congress with the request that this 2-23 resolution be officially entered in the Congressional Record as a 2-24 memorial to the Congress of the United States of America.