1997 Scorecard Vote

Texas Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Compact
House Roll Call Vote 497
Issues: Toxics/Public Right to Know, Dirty Energy

The 1980 Low-Level Radioactive Waste Policy Act requires states to either create their own disposal sites for low-level radioactive waste or form agreements called "compacts" with other states (which must be approved by Congress) to establish burial sites. Low-level radioactive waste includes a wide range of contaminated materials. The wastes come from hospitals and waste materials from nuclear power plants that have become radioactive as a result of exposure to nuclear fuel. Although proponents often state that low-level waste is only medical waste, booties, and gloves, the primary constituent (more than 90%) of "low-level" radioactive waste is nuclear reactor waste. Low-level waste from nuclear power plants includes control rods and a variety of irradiated materials from the plant. H.R. 629, sponsored by eastern Texas Reps. Joe Barton (R-TX) and Ralph Hall (D-TX), approves a compact that permits Maine and Vermont to ship low-level radioactive wastes to a facility in western Texas.

The waste facility would be built outside Reps. Barton and Hall's districts, near Sierra Blanca, a predominantly Hispanic and low-income community located on the Mexican border and about 16 miles from the Rio Grande River. Sierra Blanca's Congressman Henry Bonilla (R-TX), as well as neighboring Rep. Silvestre Reyes (D-TX), strongly oppose the project. Opponents of the compact, including Sierra Blanca residents, argue that the facility will violate agreements with Mexico that prohibit environmental degradation along the U.S.-Mexico border and the President's Executive Order on Environmental Justice by singling out a low-income, predominantly Hispanic community to receive nuclear waste.

On October 7, 1997, the House passed H R. 629, 309 - 107. NO is the pro-environment vote.

No
is the
pro-environment position
Votes For: 309  
Votes Against: 107  
Not Voting: 18  
Pro-environment vote
Anti-environment vote
Missed vote
Excused
Not applicable
Representative Party District Vote
Riley, BobRAL-03 
Young, DonRAK-AL 
Salmon, MattRAZ-01 
Pastor, EdDAZ-02 
Dickey, JayRAR-04 
Lantos, TomDCA-12 
Stark, PeteDCA-13 
Lofgren, ZoeDCA-16 
Farr, SamDCA-17 
Condit, GaryDCA-18 
Harman, JaneDCA-36 
Royce, EdRCA-39 
Lewis, JerryRCA-40 
Kim, JayRCA-41 
Bono, SonnyRCA-44 
Packard, RonRCA-48 
Filner, BobDCA-50 
Hefley, JoelRCO-05 
Castle, MikeRDE-AL 
Boyd, AllenDFL-02 
Davis, JamesDFL-11 
Miller, DanRFL-13 
Foley, MarkRFL-16 
Meek, CarrieDFL-17 
Shaw, ClayRFL-22 
Barr, BobRGA-07 
Deal, NathanRGA-09 
Linder, JohnRGA-11 
Hyde, HenryRIL-06 
Ganske, GregRIA-04 
Latham, TomRIA-05 
Moran, JerryRKS-01 
Ryun, Jim R.RKS-02 
Tiahrt, ToddRKS-04 
Lewis, RonRKY-02 
Bunning, JimRKY-04 
Markey, EdDMA-07 
Camp, DaveRMI-04 
Upton, FredRMI-06 
Smith, NickRMI-07 
Rivers, LynnDMI-13 
Minge, DavidDMN-02 
Taylor, GeneDMS-05 
Skelton, IkeDMO-04 
Danner, PatDMO-06 
Blunt, RoyRMO-07 
Hill, RickRMT-AL 
Franks, BobRNJ-07 
Quinn, JackRNY-30 
Clayton, EvaDNC-01 
Price, DavidDNC-04 
Watt, MelDNC-12 
Portman, RobROH-02 
Coburn, TomROK-02 
Watkins, WesROK-03 
Watts, J.C.ROK-04 
Klink, RonDPA-04 
Holden, TimDPA-06 
Fox, Jon D.RPA-13 
Pitts, JoeRPA-16 
Doyle, MikeDPA-18 
Inglis, BobRSC-04 
Wamp, ZachRTN-03 
Bryant, EdRTN-07 
Johnson, SamRTX-03 
Hall, RalphRTX-04 
Barton, JoeRTX-06 
Archer, BillRTX-07 
Granger, KayRTX-12 
Paul, RonRTX-14 
DeLay, TomRTX-22 
Bentsen, KenDTX-25 
Armey, DickRTX-26 
Green, GeneDTX-29 
Bliley, TomRVA-07 
Wolf, FrankRVA-10 
Smith, LindaRWA-03 
Dicks, NormDWA-06 
Smith, AdamDWA-09 
Rahall, NickDWV-03 
Kind, RonDWI-03 
Petri, TomRWI-06