1-1     By:  Walker (Senate Sponsor - Duncan)                H.C.R. No. 202

 1-2           (In the Senate - Received from the House May 8, 1997;

 1-3     May 9, 1997, read first time and referred to Committee on

 1-4     International Relations, Trade, and Technology; May 17, 1997,

 1-5     reported favorably by the following vote:  Yeas 7, Nays 0;

 1-6     May 17, 1997, sent to printer.)

 1-7                         HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

 1-8           WHEREAS, Compliance with international disarmament treaties

 1-9     to curtail the proliferation of nuclear arms and defuse weapons of

1-10     mass destruction has created new challenges for the United States

1-11     related to the dismantling and cleanup of nuclear missiles; and

1-12           WHEREAS, The development, production, and disassembling of

1-13     nuclear weapons produce transuranic waste, a highly radioactive

1-14     conglomeration of contaminated laboratory gloves, tools, dried

1-15     sludge, and other substances from testing and production

1-16     facilities; and

1-17           WHEREAS, To create a safe and environmentally responsible

1-18     method for permanently disposing of transuranic waste, the United

1-19     States Department of Energy (DOE) has designed the Waste Isolation

1-20     Pilot Plant (WIPP) in southern New Mexico that will set the

1-21     standard for deep geologic disposal of defense-related radioactive

1-22     waste; and

1-23           WHEREAS, The transuranic waste to be deposited at the WIPP

1-24     facility will be shipped by truck from all across the country,

1-25     travelling through many states, including Texas, which is a major

1-26     thoroughfare for radioactive materials coming from South Carolina,

1-27     Tennessee, Illinois, and Ohio; and

1-28           WHEREAS, While a majority of the proposed route through Texas

1-29     is on Interstate 20, a segment runs along U.S.  Highway 285; this

1-30     portion of the route, which begins in Pecos, Texas, and continues

1-31     into New Mexico, is a treacherous and narrow two-lane road; and

1-32           WHEREAS, The State of New Mexico, in a prudent move to

1-33     protect the public safety of its citizens, has dedicated part of

1-34     the impact funds received from the DOE for housing the WIPP to

1-35     widen its section of U.S. 285; this highway is a dangerous and

1-36     inadequate road that has already been the scene of one accident

1-37     involving an empty WIPP transport truck; and

1-38           WHEREAS, There are currently no federal funds allocated for

1-39     the State of Texas to take the same necessary safety precautions by

1-40     widening the section of U.S. 285 running through our state; the

1-41     health and safety of United States citizens residing in the Lone

1-42     Star State is no less important than that of our neighbors to the

1-43     northwest; now, therefore, be it

1-44           RESOLVED, That the 75th Legislature of the State of Texas

1-45     hereby respectfully request the Congress of the United States to

1-46     allocate funds for road expansion in Texas along the designated

1-47     route for transporting hazardous waste to the WIPP project; and, be

1-48     it further

1-49           RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official

1-50     copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, to

1-51     the speaker of the house of representatives and the president of

1-52     the senate of the United States Congress, and to all members of the

1-53     Texas delegation to the congress with the request that this

1-54     resolution be officially entered in the Congressional Record as a

1-55     memorial to the Congress of the United States of America.

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