Archive for the ‘Environment’ Category

House Passes Gordon Bill Banning Nuclear Waste Imports

Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009


WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. House of Representatives approved Congressman Bart Gordon’s bipartisan legislation to ban the importation of foreign radioactive waste. Gordon’s bill, the Radioactive Import Deterrence (RID) Act, H.R. 515, would prevent foreign-generated radioactive waste from being processed in Tennessee and disposed in the U.S.

“The United States stands alone as the only country in the world that imports other countries’ radioactive waste for permanent disposal,” Gordon said as he explained his bill on the House floor. “The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is currently considering the importation of 20,000 tons of Italian waste. Other countries are reading the signs that the U.S. is poised to become a nuclear dumping ground, permit applications are also pending for the importation of Brazilian and Mexican waste.”

The Italian waste importation would be the largest importation ever of foreign-generated radioactive waste. If the permits for the Italian, Brazilian, and Mexican waste importations are approved, the nuclear waste shipments would be sent to Tennessee for processing and later disposed in Utah.

Gordon has led the effort in Congress to stop these importations and ban the practice of allowing other countries to dispose their radioactive waste in the U.S. The bipartisan RID Act would prohibit the Nuclear Regulatory Commission from authorizing the importation of foreign-generated low-level nuclear waste for disposal in the U.S. unless the President deems the importation would meet critical national or international goals.

“This waste is generated all over the United States, but finding permanent disposal sites has proved difficult,” said Gordon. “Foreign waste threatens the capacity we have set aside in this country for the waste generated by our domestic industries—our medical facilities, university research labs and utility companies. It is critical that Congress protect that capacity. Today’s vote brings the RID Act one step closer to becoming law.”

One site, located in Utah, stores 99% of the United States’ low-level radioactive waste. Gordon’s bill would preserve the limited disposal space at this site for domestic companies that generate low-level radioactive waste. Having passed the House, the bill now moves to the Senate.

Posted in Energy, Environment, Legislation, Public Safety, Rep. Bart Gordon (D-6) | 1 Comment »

Gordon Helps Pass 3 Bills To Boost Small Business

Wednesday, November 18th, 2009

bartgordonWASHINGTON – Congressman Bart Gordon supported three bipartisan bills today aimed at helping small businesses in Tennessee and around the country. Each bill was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives.

The House approved the Small Business Health Information Technology Financing Act (H.R. 3014), which would create a loan program in the U.S. Small Business Administration to help medical professionals purchase health information technology.

“Numerous studies have shown that if doctors and hospitals started using secure health information technology systems, like electronic medical records, billions of dollars could be saved each year nationwide,” said Gordon who has been a longtime advocate for reducing the costs of practicing medicine.

Earlier this year, the President implemented a tort reform initiative that Gordon developed to reduce the number of frivolous medical malpractice lawsuits that doctors face.

The House also passed the Small Business Early-Stage Investment Act (H.R. 3738) and the Expand Entrepreneurship Act (H.R. 1842). Both measures aim to support new, promising small businesses.

“Early-stage businesses have been found to be some of the best job creators, but starting a new business is no easy task,” said Gordon. “These bills create important SBA programs that will assist small businesses in getting up and running. Helping small businesses grow is especially important for Tennessee’s economy, where more than 95% of our state’s private workforce is employed by small businesses.”

The Small Business Early-Stage Investment Act creates an SBA investment program tasked with providing grants to small businesses involved in health information technology, digital technology, defense technology, and agriculture research and development. The Expand Entrepreneurship Act directs the SBA to develop a comprehensive plan that identifies a strategy for each SBA region to create jobs through its programs.

Having passed the House, the three bills will now move to the Senate for consideration.

Posted in Business, Economy, Education, Energy, Environment, Health care, Jobs, Legislation, Rep. Bart Gordon (D-6) | No Comments »

Vanderbilt, Belmont Students Team Up To End Nuclear Dumping In Tennessee

Friday, November 6th, 2009

12NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Students at Vanderbilt University and Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn. have spent two weekends braving the rain, cold temperatures and early morning hours to encourage fellow Tennesseans to sign a petition aimed at ending nuclear dumping in Tennessee.

Through a program known as Bulk Survey for Release, or BSFR, millions of pounds of nuclear waste from across the United States is permitted to be dumped in ordinary Tennessee landfills. No other state allows the commercial dumping of nuclear waste in ordinary landfills.

“More than 80 percent of Tennessee voters are concerned about the BSFR process,” stated Harvey Fischer, Chairman of Families for a Clean Tennessee. “It is not a surprise that students at both of these universities are concerned about the future of Tennessee and are working to end nuclear dumping-why should they get stuck with other states’ nuclear waste?”

Through their efforts at Vanderbilt home football games and at other public venues around Nashville, the students have collected more than 3,000 signatures representing broad opposition to the state’s Bulk Survey for Release program.

Families for a Clean Tennessee is asking concerned citizens to email and call their legislators. For more information or to email your legislator directly from their Web site, visit http://www.cleantennessee.org

Posted in Environment, Public Safety | No Comments »

Gordon Gaining Traction with Nuclear Waste Ban

Tuesday, October 27th, 2009

bartgordonThe following editorial has gone national, being printed in the Jackson Sun, Sarasota Herald-Tribune, and even Columbus’ Coshocton Tribune …

DON’T LET U.S. BE GLOBAL NUCLEAR WASTE DUMP

Published: Tuesday, October 27, 2009 at 1:00 a.m.

If a friend asked to dump his garbage in your yard because he knew you would know what to do with it, what would you say? Probably, no thanks. That’s what the U.S. should say to countries that want to send their nuclear waste here for processing and storage.

Thankfully, Sen. Lamar Alexander and U.S. Rep. Bart Gordon are sponsoring legislation in Congress to keep other countries’ nuclear waste out of the U.S. …

The controversy arose when a private Utah company, EnergySolutions, asked the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for permission to bring in 20,000 tons of low-level radioactive waste from Italy. The company would process the waste in Tennessee and store the resulting 1,600 tons at a private facility 80 miles west of Salt Lake City. The NRC said it has applications from Mexico and Brazil to do the same thing.

The U.S. handles its own nuclear waste based on a regional system established by Congress in the 1980s. Current laws don’t address importing nuclear waste from other countries. …

The problem with allowing the waste to come to the U.S. is that America will become the world’s dumping ground for nuclear waste. That’s because no other country will accept the stuff. This is not a “world leader” designation America needs.

– The Jackson, Tenn., Sun

Posted in Energy, Environment, Legislation, Public Safety, Rep. Bart Gordon (D-6), Watchdog Alert | 1 Comment »

Gordon Votes for Solar Tech Bill to Boost Tennessee Jobs

Thursday, October 22nd, 2009

bartgordonWASHINGTON – To build upon the new solar technology jobs being created in Tennessee, Congressman Bart Gordon used his chairmanship of the House Science and Technology Committee to advance the Solar Technology Roadmap Act. The bipartisan bill overwhelmingly passed the full U.S. House of Representatives in a vote of 310 to 106 today.

“If solar power isn’t the first thing you think of when I talk about Tennessee, I’ll forgive you,” Congressman Gordon said during his opening remarks about the Solar Roadmap bill on the House Floor today. “But over the last few years we’ve really seen first-hand the major potential that solar energy has to create new jobs and reduce our dependence on foreign oil in the process.”

The Solar Roadmap bill, H.R. 3585, would establish a comprehensive process to facilitate the research, development and demonstration of American solar technology in partnership with the private sector. The bill would also direct the Department of Energy to award grants to entrepreneurs, research agencies and academic laboratories that are leading the field in solar technology development and solar manufacturing.

“Solar technology is creating jobs throughout Tennessee and the rest of the country,” explained Gordon. “The short- and long-term roadmap that will be written as a result of this bill is modeled on the successful National Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors, which has been instrumental in creating thousands of jobs and helping the semiconductor technology industry advance rapidly over the past two decades.”

The Solar Roadmap bill would require the U.S. Secretary of Energy to appoint an 11-member Solar Technology Roadmap Committee to write, review and update a Solar Technology Roadmap. Moving forward, the roadmap will provide a path to make solar technology more dependable and widely available to American consumers.

“The solar technology plants in Clarksville and Cleveland, as well as Nissan’s electric car and battery plant in Smyrna, are going to be instrumental in making Tennessee a leader in the new clean energy industries that will help our country become more energy independent,” added Gordon. “This bill will help additional solar projects get off the ground and boost job growth in the process.”

The Solar Technology Roadmap Act has been endorsed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. In a letter of support, the Chamber wrote, “Increased research, development, and demonstration of solar technology is crucial to America’s energy security needs, and H.R. 3585 would help move one step closer to that goal.”

The bill has also been endorsed by the National Association of Manufacturers, the Solar Energy Industries Association, BP, IBM, Intel and National Semiconductor. Having passed the House, the bill now moves to the Senate for consideration.

Posted in Business, Economy, Education, Energy, Environment, Jobs, Legislation, Rep. Bart Gordon (D-6) | No Comments »

Action by Congress Needed to Stop Nuclear Waste Imports

Friday, October 16th, 2009

bartgordon WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Bart Gordon’s bill to ban imports of nuclear waste got a boost today when an official from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission confirmed the agency currently lacks the power and authority to stop imports and disposal of foreign-generated radioactive waste in the United States.

“The NRC, the very agency that regulates low-level radioactive waste, made clear unless my bill is passed, nothing will stop countries like Mexico, Italy and Brazil from dumping their radioactive waste in our country,” said Gordon. “The fact is we have limited space for this kind of waste and it should be reserved for domestic industries that generate it – the medical facilities, university research labs and utility companies. These industries, in 36 states, have only one available disposal site to use located in Clive, Utah.”

Today’s legislative hearing on Gordon’s bill, the Radioactive Import Deterrence (RID) Act, H.R. 515, was held before the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Energy and the Environment.

During the hearing, Gordon asked the NRC official, Margaret Doane, if it was fair to summarize her testimony by saying unless Congress makes a policy decision, the NRC currently doesn’t have the authority to stop foreign radioactive waste from entering the U.S. for disposal.

“That’s right,” Doane responded.

The U.S. is the only country in the world that imports radioactive waste of other countries for disposal. Currently, a permit is pending with NRC to import 20,000 tons of Italian low-level radioactive waste for disposal in the U.S., which would be the largest importation ever of foreign-generated radioactive waste. Permits to import and dispose of radioactive waste from Mexico and Brazil are also pending. If these permits are approved, the nuclear waste shipments would be transported to Tennessee for processing and later disposed of in Utah.

Gordon’s legislation, the RID Act, would ban the Nuclear Regulatory Commission from authorizing the importation of foreign-generated radioactive waste for disposal in the U.S. unless the President deems the importation would meet critical national or international policy goals.

“By banning the importation of radioactive waste for disposal, we’ll also send the world the right message: if you are going to produce low-level radioactive waste, you’ve got to build the necessary disposal facilities,” stated Gordon during the hearing.

Posted in Energy, Environment, Legislation, Rep. Bart Gordon (D-6) | No Comments »

Gordon’s Fight Against Foreign Nuclear Waste Continues

Friday, October 9th, 2009

bartgordonWASHINGTON – A congressional hearing has been set for next Friday (Oct. 16) on Congressman Bart Gordon’s bill to ban the importation of foreign-generated nuclear waste. The legislation would prevent foreign radioactive waste from being processed in Tennessee and disposed of in the United States.

“We are the only nation in the world that imports and disposes low-level radioactive waste from other countries,” said Congressman Gordon. “Unless we act, the United States is destined to become the world’s dumping ground for foreign nuclear waste. If that happens, U.S. industries could find themselves without adequate space to dispose of domestically-produced waste.”

Currently, a permit is pending with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to import 20,000 tons of Italian low-level radioactive waste for disposal in the United States, which would be the largest importation ever of foreign-generated radioactive waste. If approved, the 20,000 tons of nuclear waste would be transported to Tennessee for processing and later disposed of in Utah.

“The bipartisan legislation I’ve introduced would prevent the waste from coming in,” added Gordon. “This hearing will provide another opportunity to shed light on the importance of this issue. I look forward to generating more support for the bill as we move it through the committee process and to the House floor for a vote.”

Gordon’s bill, the Radioactive Import Deterrence Act, or the “RID Act,” would prohibit the NRC from authorizing the importation of foreign-generated low-level radioactive waste for disposal in the United States unless the President deems the importation would meet critical national or international goals.

The U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Energy and the Environment will consider Gordon’s legislation next Friday. After the hearing, the bill is expected to move through the committee process and come to the House floor for a full vote.

“I have long fought to keep nuclear waste from coming into Tennessee,” said Gordon, “and I will continue to fight against the importation and disposal of foreign radioactive waste. If a country is going to generate radioactive waste, whether it is produced by researchers, hospitals, or nuclear power plants, it has a responsibility to also build the necessary disposal sites.”

Posted in Education, Environment, MTSU, Rep. Bart Gordon (D-6) | No Comments »

Bill Seeks End to Radioactive Dumping in Rutherford County

Monday, August 10th, 2009

clean-logo1NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Today, Families for a Clean Tennessee announced a statewide campaign aimed at encouraging state legislators to commit to supporting Senate Bill 687, a bill aimed at ending the process of Bulk Survey for Release.

Bulk Survey for Release, or BSFR, is a process that allows nuclear waste from across the United States to be dumped in ordinary Tennessee landfills. SB 687 was introduced by Sen. Marrero (D-30) during this year’s legislative session but did not receive a hearing or a vote in committee. The bill is eligible for consideration in 2010.

The pledge campaign comes just days after InsiderAdvantage and the Southern Political Report announced that while polling for the upcoming Tennessee gubernatorial election, they uncovered that more than 80 percent of respondents were “very concerned” that nuclear waste could be dumped in ordinary landfills in Tennessee. [Access the Southern Political Report Article]

“This issue is potential political dynamite,” said InsiderAdvatnave CEO Matt Towery. “This is not a Democrat or Republican issue as best I can see…what makes this a potential bombshell issue is that most in the state don’t realize nuclear dumping in landfills is allowed, and when they hear it is, they are shocked. When you add to the equation that Tennessee landfills are taking other states’ waste, residents get really hot,” continued Towery.

Families for a Clean Tennessee, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving and protecting Tennessee has mailed a copy of Towery’s poll along with a pledge card to every elected legislator in Tennessee. The group hopes that after legislators review the independent poll, they will pledge to support SB 687 by signing and returning the pledge card.

“The InsiderAdvantage poll reveals that more than 80 percent of Tennessee voters are concerned about the BSFR process and I believe our elected officials have to pledge to support SB 687 or face potential opposition in 2010,” stated Harvey Fischer, Chairman of Families for a Clean Tennessee. [Access the Pledge Sent to Tennessee Legislators]

Specifically, the InsiderAdvantage poll uncovered:

82.6 percent of likely voters oppose dumping nuclear waste in ordinary commercial landfills in Tennessee, while nearly 90 percent believe nuclear waste should be disposed of in long-term isolation facilities.
More than 75 percent of likely voters-both Democrats and Republicans– are more likely to support a candidate for Governor that is opposed to nuclear dumping and the BSFR program.
Nearly 60 percent are more likely to support a legislative candidate that is opposed to nuclear dumping and the BSFR program.
More than 50 percent have stated they would actively work for the election of any candidate from either party that opposes the dumping of nuclear waste in Tennessee landfills.
More than 50 percent support Senate Bill 687, and more than 60 percent are more likely to vote for candidates that support Senate Bill 687.
63.5 percent believe that under no circumstance should nuclear waste be dumped in Tennessee.

Families for a Clean Tennessee will provide a list of legislators that have pledged to support
SB 687 on their Web site http://www.cleantennessee.org as pledge cards are returned.

###

Families for a Clean Tennessee is a non-partisan, non-profit citizens’ organization dedicated to preserving and protecting Tennessee for families and for future generations. Our mission is to advocate for the environmental prosperity of Tennessee through education and public outreach. At Families for a Clean Tennessee, we equip citizens with the tools they need to increase their influence and to have a strong voice in the development of public policy, both individually
and collectively.

To learn more about FCT, please visit http://www.CleanTennessee.org

Posted in Energy, Environment, Legislation | No Comments »

Rutherford County Republicans vote to pollute Tennessee waterways

Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009

A Republican sponsored bill (HB 1204 / SB 1331) that would have allowed the coal industry to pollute Tennessee’s waterways narrowly failed in the state House today 49 - 42. The bill’s House sponsor says he is not sure if he’ll try to refile the bill.

Rep. Joe McCord (R-8) admitted today on the House floor that the bill was written and given to him to sponsor by the coal industry. The bill would have allowed selenium levels from coal production to reach unacceptable levels (7.5 ppm) in Tennessee lakes, rivers and streams. Watch this video to see what selenium waste has done to aquatic life.

Rep. McCord and several of his Republican colleagues repeatedly claimed the bill would bring Tennessee up to the latest EPA standards for selenium levels in U.S. waterways. The EPA, however, never adopted the proposal which Republicans falsely claimed were the latest standards.

Furthermore, the scientist who helped draft the 2004 proposal for the EPA on selenium levels has since reported that his findings were wrong and that the bill as written would in fact kill nearly 80% of fish in Tennessee waterways, one reason the proposal was rejected by the Bush Administration’s EPA in the first place.

Despite these facts, Tennessee Republicans persisted on behalf of the coal industry, including those representing Rutherford County.

The audacity of Tennessee Republicans to pass off junk science and misrepresent the truth in the state legislature as the basis of their support for poisoning Tennessee waterways is embarrassing and immoral.

Tennesseans are called upon to be good stewards of God’s creation and to protect it for generations to come. Tennessee Republicans demonstrated today yet again whose side they are on when it comes to that calling. Tennessee Republicans sided with the interests of the coal industry over protecting our environment and our great state’s cultural heritage of hunting and fishing.

Here is how our state’s delegation voted on the selenium bill:

Posted in Environment, Legislation, Public Safety, Rep. Curt Cobb (D-62), Rep. Donna Rowland (R-34), Rep. Joe Carr (R-48), Rep. Kent Coleman (D-49), Sen. Bill Ketron (R-13), Sen. Jim Tracy (R-16), Special Interests, Wildlife | 4 Comments »

Sen. Jim Tracy (R-16) talks about raising the gas tax

Wednesday, April 29th, 2009

Sen. TracyRepublican Sen. Jim Tracy is working on a bill that will increase the gas tax in Tennessee.

Sen. Tracy chairs the Senate Transportation Committee which worked with the House Rural Roads Subcommittee to amend a specialty license plate bill with the gas tax increase.

Here’s what Sen. Tracy told the Daily News Journal today.

“We’re working on it. It’s not finalized,” he said. “We have some other things to look at.”

When asked if he supports the concept of indexing, Tracy said costs of building roads, which are financed by fuel taxes, have increased 40 percent recently while revenue remains flat.

“We know we have to do something,” he said.

Even Sen. Tracy realizes that someone has to pay for the roads we need.

Posted in Economy, Energy, Environment, Sen. Jim Tracy (R-16), Tax and Spend Republicans, Taxes | 3 Comments »

Rep. Bart Gordon (D-6) seeks protections against foreign radioactive waste

Tuesday, April 28th, 2009

Rep. Bart Gordon (D-6) continues his push for the Radioactive Import Deterrence Act (RID). The House bill authored by Rep. Gordon would protect our state from imported low-level radioactive wastes that were recently found leaking from a truck on its way to Tennessee. Sen. Lamar Alexander is the sponsor of the Senate version of this bill.

“Fortunately, the spill was small, and I commend the HAZMAT response team’s quick action,” said the Murfreesboro Democrat, who has led efforts to ban the practice. “However, this incident only serves as a reminder of the risks involved in disposing of toxic chemicals. By allowing companies to import and dispose of other country’s radioactive waste, we are only heightening the possibility of a harmful spill occurring.

“The fact is, foreign waste is trucked from coastal ports to Tennessee and Utah, increasing the volume of waste on our nation’s highways.”

According to Gordon’s office, the spill occurred on March 31 in Carbon County, Utah, when a leak sprung in a hose attached to a tanker transporting 3,000 gallons of low-level radioactive waste, in addition to marine pollutants, Benzene, Phenol, Butyl alcohol, PGIII, and PCBs. The tanker was transporting waste to Tennessee for EnergySolutions, the nation’s largest radioactive waste company. EnergySolutions was billed for the emergency response and clean-up.

In early January, Gordon authored the Radioactive Import Deterrence, or RID, Act, which would prohibit the importation of foreign-generated low-level radioactive waste unless the president deems the importation would meet certain national and international goals. Gordon says the bipartisan legislation is supported by 79 members of Congress.

“We are the only country in the world that imports other countries’ radioactive waste for disposal, and we dispose of it in American soil,” added Gordon. “EnergySolutions — who claims to have an ‘unparalleled safety record’ — is one of the companies arguing that international waste will not increase the likelihood of a toxic spill occurring. Not only will it increase the risk, but with limited space in the United States for this kind of waste, the last thing we should be doing is allowing other countries to dump their radioactive trash in our country.”

Posted in Environment, Legislation, Public Safety, Rep. Bart Gordon (D-6), Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) | 1 Comment »

Leading on energy efficiency and clean energy technologies

Wednesday, April 1st, 2009

Gov. Phil Bredesen and Democratic state lawmakers unveiled new legislation designed to make Tennessee a national leader in energy efficiency and clean energy technology.

The Tennessee Clean Energy Future Act of 2009 — sponsored by Senators Jim Kyle, Randy McNally, Andy Berke and Ken Yager, and Representatives Les Winningham, Joe McCord, Jim Hackworth and Phillip Johnson — is a wide-ranging bill tackling several major recommendations by the Governor’s energy task force, created in March 2008. Last summer and fall, Bredesen traveled the state with the 16-member panel to craft a comprehensive new energy policy for Tennessee. The group’s extensive work can be viewed at www.tn.gov/energy.

“Today’s bill is the result of countless hours of public meetings involving dozens of experts and hundreds of stakeholders from across Tennessee,” Bredesen said. “It promotes energy savings for state government and consumers across Tennessee, it encourages the development of clean energy technology jobs, and it happens to be the right thing to do for energy and the environment.”

He added: “It’s a bold, bipartisan step toward ensuring the Volunteer State’s clean energy future.”

Key components of the legislation — set to be filed this week as an amendment rewriting Senate Bill 2300 and House Bill 2318 — include:

• Requiring state government to “lead by example” with improved energy management of its buildings and passenger motor vehicle fleet;

• Encouraging job creation in the clean energy technology sector by making qualified businesses eligible for Tennessee’s existing emerging industry tax credit; and

• Promoting energy efficiency in newly constructed homes with a limited statewide residential building code and expanding eligibility for federal funds used to “weatherize” existing homes in low-income areas.

Posted in Energy, Environment, Gov. Phil Bredesen, Legislation | No Comments »