Sen Herschal Crow (Oklahoma) COUNCIL MEMBERS Arkansas Rep. Ernest Cunningham Sen. Olen Hendrix Rep. John Lipton Sen. J A (Dooley) Womack Louisiana Sen Charles Barham Sen. Ned Doucet Sen. Charles B. Duval Rep Arthur W Sour, Jr. New Mexico Sen Joseph Fidel Rep Robert N Garcia Sen Bill L. Lee Sen. John L. Dahl Texas Sen. Peyton McKnight Rep. Jimmy Mankins The Honorable John D. Dingell 2221 Rayburn House Office Building Dear Representative Dingell: The State of New Mexico, one of the member states of the ARKA This legislation would require the state to hear 25 percent of the ༽018, DUISIA In view of this, the New Mexico Legislature's Joint Interim Committee on Natural Resources recently passed a resolution calling for the federal government, in the interest of equity, to bear the total cost of uranium tailings stabilization. A copy of this resclution is enclosed, and, if it is still possible, I would like to request that it be made a part of the Subcommittee's hearing record on this subject. 34TH LEGISLATURE STATE OF NEW MEXICO FIRST SESSION, 1979 A RESOLUTION WHEREAS, there are presently before the congress of the United States certain legislative measures (IR 12938, HR 12535, HR 13049) which would provide for the stabilization of uranium tailings piles; and WHEREAS, certain of those measures require the state in which the tailings piles are situate to provide twenty-five or more percent of the money to stabilize the piles; and WHEREAS, the uranium tailings piles in New Mexico were produced during a period when the price of uranium was controlled in the interest of national security; and WHEREAS, the depressed price of uranium prevented the state of New Mexico from gaining a fair return on the resource through diminution in severance taxes; and WHEREAS, in view of such diminution of revenue, it is now grossly inequitable for the federal government to impose any financial burden on the uranium-producing states; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE JOINT INTERIM NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE OF THE NEW MEXICO STATE LEGISLATURE that in the interest of equity the total cost of uranium tailings stabilization should be borne by the federal government; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this resolution be communicated to the Southwest Regional Energy Council and to the governor of New Mexico so that he may further communicate the intent of the committee to the Western Governors Policy Council; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that both organizations immediately express such intent to the congressional delegations of all member states. I am writing to you and your colleagues on the Commerce Subcommittee on Energy and Power to express my concern and the concern of other states who are afflicted with health hazards resulting from improperly located and unstabilized uranium mill tailings. In most cases, these tailings are the waste products of the Atomic Energy Commission's uranium procurement program which was conducted in the late 1940's to the mid1960's. I urge you to act this session on the legislation before your subcommittee which would establish a remedial program for radioactive tailings piles. If it is necessary for the states to contribute to this program in order to secure passage, I hope that the legislation will be drafted so that the states' reguired contribution will be commensurate with its ability to pay. It is important that our citizens realize the federal government's commitment to the protection of public health and safety associated with the United States nuclear power programs is absolute if we are to continue to have their support for the radioactive waste disposal programs which will be required. I am attaching a copy of the testimony I personally presented at the Senate hearings on this matter, and hope it will be useful to you and your staff as you consider this important legislation. SMM: kb incerely, wathem Governor Enclosure [Whereupon, at 1:34 p.m. the subcommittee adjourned.] |