Safety for Americans from Nuclear Weapons Testing Act

Bill: 108-s-2777
Sponsor: Sen. Bennett, Robert F. [R-UT]
Introduced: 2004-09-07 in the Senate
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Arizona
Classified defense information
Compensation (Law)
Congress
Congressional oversight
Congressional reporting requirements
Department of Energy
Economics and Public Finance
Education
Electronic government information
Environmental Protection
Environmental assessment
Environmental health
Environmental monitoring
Federal advisory bodies
Federal aid to education
Federal aid to research
Government Operations and Politics
Government liability
Government publicity
Groundwater
Health
Health information systems
Higher education
Internet
Law
Legislation
Medical research
Nevada
Nuclear weapons
Pollution measurement
Public meetings
Radiation
Radioactive pollution
Research centers
Research grants
Science, Technology, Communications
Utah

Summary:
action_date: 2004-09-07
text: 
Safety for Americans from Nuclear Weapons Testing Act - Deems each of the following actions undertaken by a Federal agency to be a major Federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment for which a separate environmental impact statement is required under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969: (1) the resumption of underground nuclear testing at the Nevada Test Site (Site); or (2) the use of any other location for such testing. Outlines information required to be included in such statement, including: (1) the possibility of radiation containment failure and the effects of such failure; (2) possible long-term effects on the water table from underground radiation leakage; and (3) information with respect to certain kiloton categories of weapons.
 
Prohibits the United States from resuming any such testing unless authorized by a law enacted after the enactment of this Act.
 
Requires: (1) advance (seven days) public notice of each test; (2) prompt notice of each release of radiation resulting from a test at the Site; and (3) a study by the National Academy of Sciences on the safety and health of citizens in the vicinity of the Site. Establishes a Nevada Test Site Citizens Review Board to address environmental, health, and safety issues related to nuclear testing at the Site.
 
Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to make grants to institutions of higher education to acquire and operate for ten years radiation detection equipment and sensors.
 
Directs the Secretary of Energy, through the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Environmental Protection Agency, to monitor the nature and extent of any radiation released into the atmosphere as a result of such testing. Requires: (1) DOE radiation containment assessment; and (2) public notice of monitoring data.
 
Requires the: (1) Director of the National Institutes of Health to make a grant to establish the National Center for the Study of Radiation and Human Health; and (2) Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct a study of individuals exposed to nuclear weapons tests.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2004-09-07
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
action_date: 2004-09-07
text: Introduced in Senate