WHEREAS:

The Secretary of the United States Department of Energy has made a recommendation to President George W. Bush, which has been accepted by the President, that Yucca Mountain be chosen as the site to dump 77,000 tons of deadly radioactive waste; and

WHEREAS:

Yucca Mountain is only 90 miles from Las Vegas with its almost 2,000,000 inhabitants; and

WHEREAS:

Such nuclear wastes will be dangerously radioactive for 200,000 to 800,000 years, according to press reports, and will pose a significant threat, through groundwater contamination, to the health of Las Vegas citizens and even citizens of neighboring states; and

WHEREAS:

Tens of thousands of shipments of deadly waste through 43 states, passing within one half mile of the homes of 50 million people, will be carried out over 24 years; and

WHEREAS:

Such shipments over water via barges poses an enormous threat to the health and safety of American citizens in a number of states; and

WHEREAS:

Shipments by rail over roadbeds that have already proven to be unsafe again poses a threat to all American citizens; and

WHEREAS:

Shipments by heavy duty trucks and the increase in vehicular traffic throughout the United States of America over the lifetime of these continuing shipments poses an even greater threat to the health and safety of all Americans; and

WHEREAS:

The statistics for such a large number of shipments indicate that even if no intentional terrorist attacks are assumed, between 70 and 310 accidents, with possible catastrophic consequences, would be expected over the operating life of the dump; and

WHEREAS:

AFSCME has many members in Nevada and the states through which these shipments will pass who live along the transportation corridors to be used, some of them living within 500 feet of the highways, railroads, rivers and lakes involved; and

WHEREAS:

These members and their families and descendants would suffer irreparable damage to their lives and health if this decision were to be put into effect.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:

That this convention go on record as being strongly opposed to the decision to use Yucca Mountain as the site of a nuclear waste dump, and that this resolution be communicated to all union of the AFL-CIO urging their support of this resolution and that their members begin an intensive lobbying of the members of Congress and the President of the United States to reconsider the decision of accepting Yucca Mountain as a nuclear waste site; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:

That this convention go on record as supporting the development of alternative energy including wind power, geothermal power, solar power and the conversion of coal as an environmentally safe fuel for all power plants in these United States.

SUBMITTED BY:

Denise Kelley, President
Dolores Gabay, Secretary-Treasurer
AFSCME Retiree Subchapter 153
Nevada