HCR 93: REQUESTING A COMMITMENT TO A nuclear-free, SUSTAINABLE FUTURE.

HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

REQUESTING A COMMITMENT TO A nuclear-free, SUSTAINABLE FUTURE.

     WHEREAS, Hawaii has a constitutional ban on nuclear power.  Hawaii’s constitution explicitly prohibits nuclear fission power plants without legislative approval (Article XI, Section 8). This critical provision protects the health and safety of Hawaii’s residents and reflects long-standing public opposition to nuclear energy; and

     WHEREAS, the County of Hawaii has already enacted ordinances banning nuclear energy, signifying the community’s dedication to safer, cleaner alternatives; and

     WHEREAS, transporting nuclear fuel is a hazard.  As an isolated island chain, Hawaii faces unique and significant risks in transporting nuclear fuel over vast ocean distances. Any accidents during transport could have catastrophic consequences for Hawaii’s pristine marine environment and tourism-dependent economy; and

     WHEREAS, according to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), the emergency planning zone around a nuclear power plant typically extends to a 10-mile radius for immediate radiation exposure concerns, while a broader "ingestion pathway" zone reaches out to a 50-mile radius where food and water contamination could occur in the event of an incident.  This would make safely siting a power plant, particularly on Oahu, impossible; and

     WHEREAS, Hawaii’s geological instability, including frequent earthquakes, volcanic activity, and tsunami risks, makes it an unsafe location for storing nuclear waste. There are no viable long-term solutions for safely containing radioactive materials in such a volatile environment.  Moreover, a nuclear waste facility that would contain lethal radioactive waste must be, according to scientists, maintained and funded for at least 200,000 years; and

     WHEREAS, the cost of nuclear disasters is immense and multifaceted, encompassing direct costs like cleanup operations, property damage, and evacuation efforts, as well as significant indirect costs including long-term health consequences, economic disruption due to lost productivity and tourism, and severe psychological impacts on affected populations, often lasting for generations.  We must look no further than major events like Chernobyl, Three Mile Island, and Fukushima to understand the vast scale of these costs, with estimates reaching hundreds of billions of dollars due to the complexity of managing radioactive contamination and the social repercussions of such disasters; and

     WHEREAS, Integral Fast Reactors, Pebble Bed Modular Reactors, Thorium Fueled Reactors, Molten Salt Reactors, and Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) are not viable.  Proponents of SMRs and these other so called “new” types of reactors fail to address their unproven nature, unresolved safety risks, and economic inefficiency. Cost estimates to build them have been described as “eye-popping.” Moreover, these technologies remain largely theoretical and lack adequate testing. Waiting for such reactors to materialize would forestall much faster and cheaper climate solutions. Additionally, the push for SMRs often serves the private interests of billionaires looking to power AI data centers rather than benefiting the people of Hawaii; and

     WHEREAS, the Hawaii State Energy Office has already indicated nuclear energy would be an expensive form of energy for Hawaii, and therefore, would be a distraction from Hawaii achieving our clean energy goals; and

     WHEREAS, the nuclear industry touting nuclear energy as "carbon-free electricity" is factually inaccurate.  Even existing reactors emit greenhouse gas emissions due to the continuous mining and refining of uranium needed for the reactor; and

     WHEREAS, Hawaii is already on the path to achieving 100% renewable energy by 2045 through Act 97 (2015). Nuclear energy is not renewable, requires costly infrastructure, and pursuing it would divert attention and resources from proven, sustainable solutions like solar, and wind; now, therefore,

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2025, the Senate concurring, that this body commits to uphold Hawaii’s constitution, a sustainable future, prioritize investing our resources in a clean renewable energy future, and honor the voices of its people by opposing the use of nuclear energy in Hawaii and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Governor; Attorney General; Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources; Director of the Office of Planning; and mayors of the City and County of Honolulu and counties of Hawaii, Kauai, and Maui..

Report Title: 

COMMITMENT TO A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE