Duckworth, Schneider Call on Congressional Leadership to Include Aid for Nuclear-Affected Communities in Upcoming COVID-19 Legislation

Statement

As Congress considers additional funding to support the U.S. response to the economic and public health dynamics of the COVID-19 pandemic, Senator Tammy Duckworth and Congressman Brad Schneider called on Congressional leadership to include their legislation to assist nuclear-affected communities. The Sensible, Timely Relief for America's Nuclear Districts' Economic Development (STRANDED) Act would provide financial assistance to the communities around the country shouldering the burden of storing spent nuclear waste.

The next round of COVID-related legislation is expected to include financial assistance for states and municipalities facing emergency fiscal demands and decreasing tax revenue as a result of this national emergency. Communities like Zion, Illinois have served as de facto interim nuclear storage sites for decades and have long faced financial strain as a result.

"Nuclear-affected communities, in particular, have already shouldered the significant financial burden of safely storing our nuclear waste, some for decades. These communities are now also responsible for ensuring that millions of their residents are able to safely shelter in place," wrote Duckworth and Schneider. "They do so while also operating without expected tax revenues and incurring increased emergency costs related to COVID-19. Communities like Zion, Illinois have long faced extraordinary financial hardship from the burden of storing spent nuclear waste -- and now the increased strain from the coronavirus is pushing these communities to the brink."

Last Congress, Duckworth and Schneider introduced the STRANDED Act, and reintroduced the bill in 2019. This bipartisan legislation would provide nuclear-affected communities with financial assistance based on the amount of nuclear waste is being stored on-site. The bill would provide resources for the federal government to plan for the future of these sites around the country, including establishing a Stranded Nuclear Waste Task Force within the federal government and an Innovation Solutions Prize to support private-sector research.

This follows on efforts by Duckworth and Schneider to help communities with stranded nuclear waste identify available federal resources that was included in appropriations language and signed into law in September 2018.

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