Levy Clarifies CTUIR Position on SMNRs in Umatilla County

MISSION – Earlier today, state Rep. Bobby Levy (R-58) mistakenly represented the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation’s (CTUIR) stance on House Bill 2410 that calls for a small modular nuclear reactor (SMNR) demonstration project in Umatilla County.

Levy, who is a vice chair of the Oregon House Committee on Climate, Energy and Environment, erroneously told the committee the CTUIR supports HB 2410 when in fact it does not.

“The CTUIR Board of Trustees opposes HB 2410 in concept. With that being said, the Board appreciates the communication and hard work regarding drafting appropriate tribal consultation in the bill language. Working on amendments to the bill does not signal support for it but rather to ensure the CTUIR had protections in place in case the bill becomes law,” CTUIR Board of Trustees Chairman Gary I. Burke said. “We understand that mistakes happen, and we are confident Rep. Levy did not intend to misrepresent the CTUIR’s position on SMNRs. However, we want to assure our tribal members that the CTUIR opposes SMNRs in Umatilla County even as a demonstration project.”

The CTUIR has provided written and verbal testimony against the bill to the Oregon Legislature on the grounds that it rushes authorization for nuclear development and bypasses necessary studies that would help inform such a project before it’s launched.

In an email to her House colleagues, Levy clarified the CTUIR’s stance after the meeting and asked that it be made public record.

The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation is comprised of the Cayuse, Umatilla and Walla Walla Tribes, and formed under the Treaty of 1855 at the Walla Walla Valley, 12 Stat. 945. In 1949, the Tribes adopted a constitutional form of government to protect, preserve and enhance the reserved treaty rights guaranteed under federal law.