Safety for Americans from Nuclear Weapons Testing Act

Bill: 111-hr-1417
Sponsor: Rep. Matheson, Jim [D-UT-2]
Introduced: 2009-03-10 in the House
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Air quality
Cancer
Education programs funding
Environmental assessment, monitoring, research
Government information and archives
Government studies and investigations
Health information and medical records
Health programs administration and funding
Higher education
Medical research
Military procurement, research, weapons development
Nevada
Nuclear weapons
Radioactive wastes and releases

Summary:
action_date: 2009-03-10
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 detailed environmental impact statement is required in conformance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969: (1) any action having as a purpose the resumption of testing of one or more nuclear weapons (including other nuclear explosive devices producing a nuclear yield) at the Nevada Test Site; or (2) 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 public notice of each test by the President; (2) notice of each release of radiation beyond the boundaries of the Nevada Test Site by the Secretary of Energy within one hour of detection of such radiation; and (3) public meetings in southern Utah, Arizona, and Nevada after each test to discuss test results.
 
Directs the National Academy of Sciences to conduct a study on the safety and health of citizens in the vicinity of the Nevada Test Site.
 
Directs the Secretary to establish a Nevada Test Site Citizens Review Board.
 
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 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 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 (NIH) 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: 2010-01-25
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Strategic Forces.
action_date: 2009-03-11
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Environment.
action_date: 2009-03-11
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2009-03-10
text: Referred to House Natural Resources
action_date: 2009-03-10
text: Referred to House Energy and Commerce
action_date: 2009-03-10
text: Referred to the Committee on Armed Services, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, and Natural Resources, 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.
action_date: 2009-03-10
text: Referred to House Armed Services
action_date: 2009-03-10
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2009-03-10
text: Introduced in House