Illinois republic lawmaker shelves bill to lift ban on new nuclear reactors

[jpak]

http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/4510145-418/illinois...

A north suburban state lawmaker has shelved plans to push for an end to Illinois’ moratorium on new nuclear power plant construction given Japan’s nuclear catastrophe.

State Rep. JoAnn Osmond (R-edit -moranAntioch) introduced legislation in January that would have lifted the state’s 24-year ban on nuclear power plant construction but said it no longer is on her legislative front burner.

“I don’t know it’s permanently dead, but it’s not a thing we want to do at this point until we’ve researched and really made sure that whatever causes there were for what happened in Japan are something we wouldn’t have right here,” Osmond said.

Osmond, who has the mothballed Zion nuclear plant that is being decommissioned in her legislative district, said she pushed the legislation as a way to preserve and create jobs.

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