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[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 267 Introduced in House (IH)]

107th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 267

Expressing the sense of the Congress concerning the security of nuclear 
                    facilities in the United States.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           November 13, 2001

   Mr. Gekas (for himself, Mr. Kanjorski, Mr. Pitts, and Mr. Platts) 
 submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to 
 the Committee on Armed Services, and in addition to the Committees on 
   Energy and Commerce, and Transportation and Infrastructure, for a 
 period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the 
                          committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

 
Expressing the sense of the Congress concerning the security of nuclear 
                    facilities in the United States.

Whereas there are 103 active nuclear facilities in the United States operating 
        at 64 sites in 31 States;
Whereas the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the nuclear power industry 
        maintain that security at all nuclear sites in the United States has 
        been bolstered since September 11, 2001, and remains sufficient to 
        protect employees and the residents of surrounding areas from the 
        possible deleterious effects of an accident or terrorist attack at any 
        nuclear site;
Whereas studies suggest that spent fuel storage areas, such as dry casks and 
        pools, may be vulnerable to terrorist attacks, and that an attack on 
        these areas could result in the release of lethal doses of radiation 
        affecting an area thousands of square kilometers in radius and many 
        times larger than that caused by the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, 
        Japan;
Whereas radioactive iodine, which could be released in the environment as a 
        result of an accident or terrorist attack at a nuclear facility and 
        which can lead to the development of thyroid cancer, can be combated 
        with the expeditious use of potassium iodide;
Whereas the security of nuclear facilities is a national security concern and 
        not merely a regional, State, or local concern;
Whereas the Office of Homeland Security and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission 
        issued a general security alert for the week of October 29, 2001, and 
        specifically requested additional security patrols or posts at nuclear 
        facilities, using State law enforcement personnel and, if needed, the 
        National Guard;
Whereas in response to that general security alert, the Governors of Arizona, 
        Arkansas, Connecticut, Kansas, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Jersey, New 
        York, and Pennsylvania, ordered National Guard units to provide security 
        temporarily at nuclear facilities in those States, in conjunction with 
        or in lieu of State and local law enforcement personnel; and
Whereas the Governors of 22 States have determined that State and local law 
        enforcement personnel combined with contracted security personnel can 
        sufficiently ensure security at nuclear facilities in their respective 
        States: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That it is the sense of the Congress that--
            (1) the President should direct the Nuclear Regulatory 
        Commission, the Department of Defense, the National Guard 
        Bureau, the Department of Transportation, the Federal Bureau of 
        Investigations, and the Central Intelligence Agency to jointly 
        conduct a study to assess the present and future need for units 
        of the Army, Air Force, Coast Guard, and National Guard to 
        augment security at the 103 active nuclear facilities in the 
        United States;
            (2) the President should direct the Nuclear Regulatory 
        Commission and the National Guard Bureau to work with 
        representatives of State law enforcement agencies to establish 
        basic guidelines for the proper training and use of National 
        Guard units deployed at nuclear facilities, emphasizing the 
        need for high levels of coordination with State law enforcement 
        personnel;
            (3) National Guard units providing added security at 
        nuclear facilities should be funded by the Federal Government; 
        and
            (4) the President should direct the Nuclear Regulatory 
        Commission, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the 
        Food and Drug Administration to establish emergency reserves of 
        potassium iodide tablets in those communities within the 
        Emergency Planning Zones of each of the 64 nuclear power sites 
        across the Nation, as delineated by the Nuclear Regulatory 
        Commission.
                                 <all>
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