City of San Antonio - File #: 17-2321

• File #: 17-2321
• Type: Resolution
• In control: City Council A Session
• On agenda: 3/30/2017
• Posting Language: A Resolution expressing the City's opposition to the transportation of high level radioactive waste through the City and expressing the City’s safety concerns to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. [Erik Walsh, Deputy City Manager; Roderick Sanchez, Assistant City Manager; Charles Hood, Fire Chief; Douglas Melnick, Chief Sustainability Officer]

Date	Ver.	Action By	Action	Result
3/30/2017	1	City Council A Session

DEPARTMENT: Fire Department; Office of Sustainability


DEPARTMENT HEAD: Chief Charles N. Hood; Douglas R. Melnick


COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: All


SUBJECT:

Nuclear Waste Facility in Andrews County, Texas


SUMMARY:

CM Nirenberg filed a Council Consideration Request (CCR) on March 8, 2017, to have the Council approve a Resolution to "establish the City of San Antonio as opposed to nuclear waste transportation through our city, and would reserve the option for us to intervene."

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

On April 28, 2016, Waste Control Specialists, LLC (WCS) applied to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for a license to construct and operate a Consolidated Interim Storage Facility (CISF) for spent nuclear fuel at the present WCS facility in Andrews County, Texas. This site is approximately 350 miles northwest of San Antonio.

The NRC published Notices for two related actions in the Federal Register (FR) on January 30, 2017. The first action concerns the scope of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the CISF which the NRC is required to prepare as part of the permit process. The NRC first published the EIS notice in the FR on November 14, 2016, and comments for the scope of the EIS must be submitted by April 28, 2017, to ensure consideration.

The second action is the WCS license application for the CISF. Any person whose interests may be affected by this action may file a request for a hearing and a petition for leave to intervene in this action. A request for a hearing or petition for leave to intervene must be filed by March 31, 2017.

The CCR was authored by Council member Nirenberg and signed by Council members Trevino, Saldana, Gonzales, and Medina. The Council Consideration Request focuses on the risks related to the transport of high-level radioactive waste through the San Antonio area for the purpose of storage unnecessarily; thereby increasing the risk of accidents or terrorism activity. The CCR is being jointly staffed b...