NEIS FIGHTS FOR INCREASED PUBLIC VOICE ON NEW REACTORS!
Witness slips needed Monday 3/11/24 to support HB5630
NEIS received word that a bill introduced by Rep. Lilian Jimenez (D.-4) — HB 5630 — will be up for a House Energy & Environment Committee vote on Tuesday, March 12, 4 p.m., Capitol Building Room 114, in Springfield. The bill calls for a greater voice and proactive role for the public to play on the issue of proposed small modular nuclear reactors (SMNRs) and Illinois’ nuclear future.
WHAT YOU CAN DO: CAN’T WAIT – IT MUST BE DONE TODAY
- File a witness slip in favor: We will need witness slips filed “Proponent” for this hearing. You can fill yours out now by using the link provided.
- Attend the hearing of the Energy and Environment Committee in Springfield, and make a comment.
HOW TO FILE A WITNESS SLIP:
Filing the witness slip for yourself:
– Go to the link and follow the instructions
– Complete the Identification fields: name, address, email, and phone
– Under “Firm/Business or Agency” put: Self
– Title: None
– Under Representation, put: Self
– Under Position, check Proponent
– Under Testimony select: Record of Appearance Only
– Check “agree to terms”
– To submit click: Create Slip
Thanks in advance for your efforts. We can win this one, but only if we are as relentless as the nuclear industry.
BACKGROUND:
In the Fall 2023 Legislative Session, the Legislature passed a bill that partially repealed the Illinois nuclear construction moratorium. Theoretical small modular nuclear reactors (SMNRs) would be allowed to be constructed, but not large-scale nuclear plants like we have today.
The law calls for the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) to conduct 2 studies: one, to determine the feasibility of building SMNRs; the second to determine the role of nuclear power in Illinois’ energy future. The public was given no role in actually developing the outcomes of these studies; and only a perfunctory 30-day opportunity to comment on what IEMA would produce.
NEIS objected to the public being excluded from actually having in role in pro-actively participating in developing its energy future; and believed that the public and other logical stakeholders were prevented the meaningful opportunity to actually participate actively in the development both of these studies along with IEMA, instead of merely reacting after-the-fact to whatever IEMA produced.
NEIS sent a detailed letter of objection to Governor Pritzker on January 3, 2024, along with suggestions and a request to meet to discuss this. This letter received no response.
After explaining this situation to several legislators, Rep. Lilian Jimenez (D.-4) introduced HB5630 – the IEMA-OHS-REACTOR ADVISORY BODY bill — as a way to increase public participation in actually participating in developing Illinois energy future.
courtesy of NIRS 
