WCS IMPORT EXPANSION BILL SUNK ON TECHNICALITY

One week before the legislature adjourns, a bill in the Texas state legislature that was set to increase the annual cap on imported shipments to Waste Control Specialists was defeated late in the evening May 20 when long-time opponent of the site, state Rep. Lon Burnham (D-Ft. Worth), raised a technical issue with the bill. The proposed legislation—which would have allowed WCS to dispose of up to 300,000 curies for at least one year beginning Sept. 1—would have required the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to perform a rulemaking. However, Burnham said, the bill analysis did not discuss that requirement. The Texas House upheld the objection, and the bill was declared unworkable. The bill was introduced in and had already passed the Texas Senate. Monday’s decision came more than a week after the final day to introduce legislation, but officials familiar with the situation said there may be the chance that the pertinent objectives of the bill may be added as amendments to other bills. The Texas legislature meets every other year, so if WCS misses the chance to expand capacity before the end of the session, it won’t be able to revisit those limits until 2015.