1993 AGN MAR 02 I10 - Laserfiche WebLink

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i RESOLUTION NO. R- Or A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLTON AGAINST ANY TRANSFER OF BEM LAND LOCA'T'ED IN WARD VALLEY NEAR 2 NEEDLES, CALIFORNIA TO ESTABLISH A LOW- LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL SITE. WHEREAS, the City of Colton has been requested to join the the Mojave and Chimahuevo Tribes in urging the Secreta of the Secretary Interior 5 to disapprove a transfer of BLM land located in Ward Valley near Needles, G California to the California Department of Health Services; and WHEREAS, the Department of Health Services has requested a direct 7 sale of the land in order to establish a low-level radioactive waste dis- 8 posal site and the California State Lands Commission has also requested 9 this land through an application for selection of public lands for the 10 same purpose, and the Tribes believe that the transfer would be incon- sistent with the federal government's trust responsibility to the tribes; 11 and, 12 WHEREAS, the Tribes are greatly concerned about the potential 13 health and safety impacts on tribal members and other citizens from the proposed project, and believe inadequate study has been done on the effects 14 on the groundwater and surface waters of the Colorado River from the pro - 15 posed project; and, 16 WHEREAS, the Department of the Interior, including the Bureau of Land Management, must specifically look at any possible impacts of the dis- 17 posal site on the water resources of the Colorado River tribes; and, 18 WHEREAS, the area has profound cultural significance to many of the tribes and it remains important for cultural and religious activities 19 for Indian people; and, 20 WHEREAS, the objectives served by the land transfer are out - 21 weighted by the federal government't trust obligations to the tribes to 22 preserve and protect the land and water resources of the tribes. NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF C OLTON strongly 23 urge the Secretary of the Interior to take immediate action to ensure that 24 the transfer of land to the California Department of Health Sciences 25 is denied. 26 PASSM AMID ADOPTED THIS 2nd day of March, 1993. 27 FRANK A. GOINZALES, Mayor 28 HELEN A. PJV40S, City Clerk