The poll shows that there is strong non partisan opposition (63%) to disposing the waste in Andrews County as well as strong opposition against any legislator (63%) that supports the dumping of toxic waste that threatens the Aquifer.

MEMORANDUM

FROM: WILSON RESEARCH STRATEGIES

SUBJECT: TEXAS NUCLEAR STORAGE STATEWIDE SURVEY RESULTS

DATE: JUNE 8, 2009

This memo summarizes key findings from a statewide poll of 800 Texas voters conducted June 3-7, 2008.

Key Findings

Voters are generally unaware of the plan to dump nuclear waste in Texas.

• Only 16% of Texas voters they have heard a lot or some about the plan.
• Seventeen percent (17%) say they have not heard much about it.
• Two-thirds (66%) of Texas voters say they haven’t heard anything at all about this plan.

Initial response to the idea of nuclear waste in Texas is very negative.

• Nearly two thirds (63%) of Texas voters oppose dumping nuclear waste in Andrews County, Texas.
• Half (51%) strongly oppose the plan
• Only 17% say they support the plan.
• Democrats (72% opposed) are the most opposed to the plan but three-in-five or more Republicans (60%) and Independents (63%) are also opposed to it.

When voters hear that one of the sites sits on top of the Ogallala Aquifer, opposition hardens even further.

• Opposition increase from 63% to 80% when voters hear about the Aquifer.
• Of the 80% that oppose nuclear dumping over the Ogallala Aquifer, 72% strongly oppose it.

When voters are read statements from each side 68% agree with opponents of the waste site while only 18% agree with supporters.

The arguments presented from each side were…

(Some/Other) people say the radioactive waste landfill is safe. They say that it is designed with features that prevent any waste from escaping and that it moves waste from highly populated areas to a safe location away from major population centers. They say the facility will bring jobs and money to a county hit hard by economic difficulties and the bond to fund the project was approved by a majority of the voters in the county in a fair vote.

(Some/Other) people say they are gravely concerned about the radioactive waste landfill. They say that it is located above an aquifer that provides drinking water to nine states. Nuclear waste lasts for hundreds of years and they say there is no way to be sure that it won’t eventually contaminate drinking water. Furthermore they say the private company that owns the facility shouldn’t be given preferential treatment to use taxpayer money to finance their private investment in this radioactive landfill.

A candidate who supports the nuclear waste storage is taking a dangerous position politically.

• More than half (56%) of Texas voters would vote for the gubernatorial candidate who opposed the waste landfill, while only 4% would vote for the gubernatorial candidate who supported it, all other factors being equal.
  • Majorities of all partisan groups are likely to vote for a gubernatorial candidate who opposes the landfill with 69% of Democrats, 54% of Independents, and 52% of Republicans saying so.
• Legislative candidates face an even starker divide, with two thirds of Texas voters (63%) saying they would vote for the legislative candidate who opposed the waste storage.

Methodology

Wilson Research Strategies conducted a research study of likely voters across Texas.

Respondents were contacted by phone via a live telephone operator interview June 3-7, 2009. The study has a sample size of n=800 voters. The margin of error is equal to ±3.46% in 95 out of 100 cases. The sample was stratified to represent the Texas electorate based on race, age, gender, partisan identification, and geographic distribution.

About Wilson Research Strategies

Since 1998, WRS has been a leading provider of political polling for campaigns from Mayor and City Council to Governor and U.S. Senate in 47 states and several foreign countries. In 2007-2008 alone, WRS conducted polling in 252 races for campaigns, caucuses and independent expenditures efforts.

In addition to our political and policy research, WRS provides donor research to Christian and other not-for-profits and alumni research to colleges and universities. More than 200 Christian and other not-for-profit organizations around the country and dozens of large and small colleges and universities have relied on WRS’s data and analysis.

WRS’s corporate research arm has provided market research to more than 100 of the Fortune 500 and to hundreds of small and medium businesses nationwide.