Maine Question 13, Approve Rocky Mountain Low-Level Radioactive Waste Board Disposal Agreement Measure (1989)
| Maine Question 13 | |
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| Election date |
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| Topic Nuclear energy |
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| Status |
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| Type Legislatively referred state statute |
Origin |
Maine Question 13 was on the ballot as a legislatively referred state statute in Maine on November 7, 1989. It was approved.
A "yes" vote was a vote to approve a contract with the Rocky Mountain Low-level Radioactive Waste Board that would result in disposing of radioactive waste created in Maine from 1990-1992 at a disposal site in Beatty, Nevada. |
A "no" vote was a vote to reject a contract with the Rocky Mountain Low-level Radioactive Waste Board that would result in disposing of radioactive waste created in Maine from 1990-1992 at a disposal site in Beatty, Nevada. |
Election results
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Maine Question 13 |
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| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
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124,618 | 54.54% | ||
| No | 103,857 | 45.46% | ||
Aftermath
This agreement ended on December 31, 1992.[1] A new agreement was made in 1993 after voters voted in favor of a legislatively referred state statute, which approved an interstate compact with Texas and Vermont for the disposal of the state's low-level radioactive waste at a proposed facility in the state of [[Texas]
Text of measure
Ballot title
The ballot title for Question 13 was as follows:
| “ | Do you approve of the agreement for the disposal of low-level radioactive waste proposed to be made with the Rocky Mountain Low-level Radioactive Waste Board whose member states are Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Wyoming for disposal of low-level radioactive waste at an existing facility in Beatty, Nevada? | ” |
Full Text
The full text of this measure is available here.
Background
Maine first voted on nuclear issues in 1980, when an indirect initiated state statute attempted to prohibit the generation of electrical power by means of nuclear fission, but it was defeated. The same issue was voted upon in 1982, which would have prohibited the use of nuclear power for producing electricity after November 2, 1987. This measure was also defeated. In 1985, voters approved a measure that gave citizens the right to vote for or against any plan for the storage or disposal of low-level radioactive waste. Another measure in 1987 approved allowed continued generation of electricity by nuclear fission and for the Maine Yankee power plant to remain in operation, even if it created high-level nuclear waste was created as a waste product of that process.[2]
Rocky Mountain Low-Level Radioactive Waste Board
The Rocky Mountain Low-Level Radioactive Waste Board is an interstate government agency that administers the Rocky Mountain Low-Level Radioactive Waste Compact. The compact was created by legislation passed by the original member states, which were Colorado, Nevada and New Mexico. The compact is an independent regulatory organization, which means that it is not an agency of any of its member states. Its main purposes are to provide for the disposal of low-level radioactive waste and to regulate the interstate commerce aspects of such waste.[3]
Similar measures
- Maine Nuclear Fission for Electricity Prohibition, Referendum Question (1980)
- Maine Nuclear Fission for Electricity Prohibition, Nuclear Power Question (1982)
- Maine Direct Democracy on Nuclear Waste Disposal and Storage, Low Level Radioactive Waste Siting Issue (1985)
- Maine Yankee Power Plant Operation with High-Level Nuclear Waste, Question 1 (1987)
- Maine Texas Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Compact, Question 6 (1993)
Path to the ballot
A simple majority vote is required during one legislative session for the Maine State Legislature to place a state statute on the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 76 votes in the Maine House of Representatives and 18 votes in the Maine State Senate, assuming no vacancies. Statutes require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Agreement to Accept Rocky Mountain Waste, "Recitals," September 30, 1992
- ↑ Maine State Law and Legislative Reference Library, "Votes on Initiated Bills 1980-," accessed April 28, 2014
- ↑ Rocky Mountain Low-Level Radioactive Waste Board, "Fact Sheet: Rocky Mountain Low-Level Radioactive Waste Board," accessed April 28, 2014
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State of Maine Augusta (capital) |
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