Mason Introduces Measure to Ensure Safety in Nuclear Power Plant Shutdowns

SPRINGFIELD, Ill – In an effort to ensure protections for residents and the environment from residual radioactivity, state Rep. Joyce Mason, D-Gurnee, has introduced legislation to require the Illinois Commerce Commission to provide a bi-annual report to the Illinois General Assembly regarding the decommissioning of nuclear power plants.

“As a state representative whose district contains a decommissioning nuclear power plant, it is especially important for me to take extra precautions for the safety of my constituents,” Mason said. “The process of decommissioning nuclear power plants can be complex and complicated, and requiring bi-annual reports is one more way for us as legislators to make sure that our communities are protected.”

Rep. Mason’s district is home to a former nuclear reactor facility in Zion that is currently being decommissioned. In order for a nuclear power plant to permanently close, it must undergo a decommissioning process to reduce residual radioactivity, including dismantling equipment, removing radioactive materials and appropriately storing nuclear fuel.

The process is currently regulated by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), but Illinois is part of NRC’s Agreement State Program, in which states sign formal agreements to assume regulatory responsibility. Mason’s House Bill 840 will require the Illinois Commerce Commission, which aims to balance the interests of consumers and utilities, to collect information on the decommissioning of nuclear power plants in Illinois and submit a bi-annual report to the General Assembly to help ensure safe practices and reduce the risk of residual radioactivity for workers and the surrounding communities.

“The health and well-being of my constituents is one of my top priorities, and I am confident that this measure will help keep Illinois residents and our environment safe,” Mason said. “By receiving and reading reports on the shutdown of nuclear power plants in Illinois, we can take extra care to make sure that radioactive materials and equipment are dismantled, disposed of and stored in a way that is safe for all of us.”

For more information, please contact Rep. Mason’s constituent service office at Info@RepJoyceMason.com.