The San Antonio Council Governance Committee voted on Wednesday to ask City Hall to forward a resolution to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission opposing any transportation of nuclear waste through San Antonio to a proposed nuclear waste dump in west Texas, News Radio 1200 WOAI reports.
Bexar County Commissioners have already approved a similar resolution.
"If we don't take action, we risk thousands of tons of nuclear waste traveling through the heart of San Antonio on a regular basis," Councilman and Mayoral Candidate Ron Nirenberg said.
The resolution covers transportation by train and by truck. But the material is most likely to be transported by rail.
Nirenberg said the resolution could enhance San Antonio's long proposed plans for a freight rail bypass around the metro area.
"Texas needs a freight bypass around the San Antonio metropolitan area in order to improve safety and efficiency of freight transport and to keep our multinational economy moving," Nirenberg said.
The final decision on all aspects of the proposed facility in Andrews County will be made by the NRC.
The facility could eventually hold some 40,000 tons of spent nuclear material from power plants, medical uses and other projects. Plans are for the facility to keep the material safely secured for as long as 10,000 years.