Sangamon Sun

State Rep. Tim Butler (R-Springfield) has been added as a co-sponsor of HB 592, known as the Radiochemistry Lab Program, amending the Nuclear Safety Law of 2004.

During the Energy & Environment Committee session discussing the merits of the bill, Butler recognized the efforts of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) in effectively overlooking and regulating the nuclear power program of the state of Illinois.

"They've got a bunch of great staff who work there and great facilities,” Butler said. “With our nuclear fleet in Illinois, IEMA has been a leader internationally on a lot of things around the nuclear issue. In fact, if I remember correctly, they helped people from Fukushima following the disaster in Japan. So, this is a straightforward effort to make sure IEMA has oversight on it. I appreciate the work IEMA does in keeping us safe on the nuclear front."

HB 592, which aims to provide that the Illinois Emergency Management Agency shall have primary responsibility for the coordination and oversight of all state governmental functions concerning the regulation of nuclear power, including environmental radiochemical analysis, was initially filed by State Rep. Stephanie Kifowit (D-Oswego).

State Rep. Dan Caulkins (R-Decatur) was also added as the bill’s co-sponsor.