House of Representatives Floor Statement Commerce Committee Legislation to dump Nuclear Waste in Nevada, April 21, 1999, and press releases (5 pages)

Congresswoman Shelley Berkley's Nevada Congressional District One Web Site 0 http://www.house.gov/berkley/SP 042199_YiicL-a.html Speech House of Representatives Floor Statement Commerce Committee Legislation to Dump Nuclear Waste in Nevada April 21,1999 (Ms. BERKLEY asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.) Ms. BERKLEY. Mr. Speaker, this Congress is on the verge of making a monumental mistake. As we speak, the House Committee on Commerce is trying to pass legislation that would dump more than 70,000 tons of lethal nuclear waste just 90 miles from my hometown, Las Vegas, home to over 1 million men, women, and children. What is worse, this bill proposes to move this waste on our nation's highways and rail lines through 43 States through the backyards of 50 million Americans. Mr. Speaker, it is estimated that this mobile Chernobyl will create between 200 and 400 potential deadly nuclear accidents. I ask my colleagues if such an accident occurred in their district and they voted for this legislation, what possible explanation could they give their constituents? Who would they send to clean up the radioactive mess, or care for the radioactive injured? There is an alternative. Energy Secretary Bill Richardson has come up with a good plan to keep the deadly radioactive waste off our nation's highways and railways. He wants the Energy Department to take control of nuclear waste at our nation's reactor sites. Please vote against this horrible mobile Chernobyl before it causes a nuclear accident. 1 of 2 6/3/1999 3:51 PM Congresswoman Shelley Berkley's Nevada Congressional District One Web Site http://www.house.gov/berkley/SP 051299_Yucca.html Speech House of Representatives Floor Statement NUCLEAR WASTE AND THE ATOMIC TRAIN MOVIE May 12, 1999 (Ms. BERKLEY asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.) Ms. BERKLEY. Mr. Speaker, not only are the nuclear power industry lobbyists trying to conquer common sense with dollars in Congress, they are trying to do the same thing to the entertainment industry. I was shocked and dismayed to read in The Washington Post TV column that NBC has caved in to nuclear industry pressure and politely changed the name of the atomic train's cargo from nuclear waste to hazardous materials. What semantic nonsense. If anyone is able to tell the difference between the two, it would be the people of the State of Nevada, who are fighting a bill that would dump all of the Nation's nuclear waste in our backyard, 77,000 tons of it. This just is not Nevada's fight. Most of America would be put at risk by H.R. 45, the Nuclear Waste Transport bill. On April 28 I sent a N Dear Colleague' letter to my fellow Members of Congress, pointing out that although the movie is fiction, the threat is real. Let me ask my colleagues this: When the first inevitable crash occurs, where would they want to be living? Would they want to be living in that neighborhood? I challenge NBC to stand up for public health and safety rather than caving in to the nuclear power industry lobbyists. 1 of 2 6/3/1999 .1:51 PM Congresswoman Shelley Berkley's Nevada Congressional District One Web Site http://www.house.gov/berkley/SP 051299_Yucca.html Press Release Congresswoman Shelley Berkley Challenges NBC to Stand up For Public Health And Safety Rather Than Giving in To Nuclear Power Industry Lobbyists on Atomic Train Movie. * * * Revised Network Plans Refer to Atomic Train's Cargo as 'Hazardous Materials' Rather Than Nuclear Waste Washington D.C. (May 11) - Congresswoman Shelley Berkley (D-NV) today sent a letter to NBC Entertainment President Scott Sassa objecting to the network's plans to revise the upcoming 'Atomic Train' movie after pressure from the nuclear power industry. Rather than the original version that described the train's cargo as 'nuclear waste', the contents are now described as 'hazardous materials.' In the letter to Mr. Sassa, Congresswoman Berkley points out, "H.R. 45 would authorize more than 100,000 shipments of high-level nuclear waste through 43 states... According to Department of Energy's own numbers, there will be 200- 400 crash incidents over the course of the transport. The DOE has described a plausible crash scenario involving high impact and fire that would contaminate an area of 42 square miles with radioactive debris." A copy of the Congresswoman's letter is below: May 11, 1999 Mr. Scott Sassa President, NBC Entertainment 30 Rockefeller Plaza New York, NY 10112 Dear Mr. Sassa: 1 of 2 6/3/1999 .1:51 PM Congresswoman Shelley Berkley's Nevada Congressional District One Web Site http://www.house.gov/berkley/SP 051299_Yucca.html Not only are the nuclear power industry lobbyists trying to conquer common sense with dollars in Congress, they are trying to do the same thing to the entertainment industry. I was shocked and dismayed to read in Lisa de Moraes' TV column that NBC has caved in to industry pressure and politely changed the name of the Atomic Train's cargo from 'nuclear waste' to 'hazardous materials'. What semantic nonsense. If anybody is able to tell the difference between the two, it would be the people of my home state of Nevada, who are fighting a bill that would dump all of the nation's nuclear waste in our backyard - 77,000 tons of it. But this isn't just Nevada's fight - most of America would be put at risk by H.R. 45, the nuclear waste transport bill. On April 14, the House Commerce Committee voted to send H.R. 45 to the House floor for a full vote. The nuclear power industry points to 3,000 shipments without an accident - yet H.R. 45 would authorize more than 100,000 shipments of high-level nuclear waste through 43 states and hundreds of Congressional districts, through the backyards of 50 million people who live within a half-mile of the travel routes. The waste will rumble hundreds of cities and towns - Birmingham, Alabama; Laramie, Wyoming; Portland, Maine; suburbs of Los Angeles; Miami, Florida; Kansas City and St. Louis, Missouri; the list goes on and on.. According to Department of Energy's own numbers, there will be 200- 400 crash incidents over the course of the transport. The DOE has described a plausible crash scenario involving high impact and fire that would contaminate an area of 42 square miles with radioactive debris. That's about the size of San Francisco or Boston. The recent train wreck in Illinois that killed 16 people occurred 50 miles south of Chicago. Imagine that wreck with a full load of high-level nuclear waste and a stiff breeze. The nuclear power industry dumped more than $15 million in campaign contributions during the 1997-98 campaign cycle, spent millions on 'don't worry, be happy' advertising, and continues to dole out radioactive money to this day. On April 28,1 sent a 'Dear Colleague' to my fellow members of Congress pointing out that although the movie is fiction, the threat is real. Let me ask you this: when the first inevitable crash occurs, would you want to be living in that neighborhood? I challenge NBC to stand up for public health and safety rather than giving in to nuclear power industry lobbyists. Sincerely, 1 of 2 6/3/1999 .1:51 PM Congresswoman Shelley Berkley's Nevada Congressional District One Web Site http://www.house.gov/berkley/SP 051299_Yucca.html Press Release Congresswoman Shelley Berkley Condemns Last-minute, Backdoor Tactics by Republicans on H.R. 45 * * * Congresswoman Objects to Fast-Tracking Commerce Committee Report on Bill Washington, D. C. (May 20) - Congresswoman Shelley Berkley (D-NV) today attacked attempts by the Republican majority to fast-track H.R. 45, the nuclear waste transport bill. The Republicans had asked for a unanimous consent vote by Congress to approve the House Commerce Committee's approval report on the bill on Friday, when the House is not in session, rather than waiting until the House reconvenes on Monday. The Commerce Committee's report is one of the last steps before H.R. 45 goes to the House floor for a full vote. "I'm telling the Republican leadership that there's no such thing as unanimous consent when it come to nuclear waste. I won't give them another 96 hours, or 96 minutes, or 96 seconds when it comes to transporting high-level nuclear waste across this country and dumping it in Nevada," said Congresswoman Berkley. "I don't approve of a single thing in H.R. 45, and I won't have a single vote on the record saying that I do." "The Republicans are trying to shove this bill through Congress in the same way they're trying to shove nuclear waste down Nevada's throat. They want to go around the democratic process, in the hopes they can keep it quiet as to how deadly H.R. 45 really is. They know that the more debate there is on H.R. 45, and the more people hear about how the bill puts the entire country at risk, the more difficult it is to justify shipping nuclear poison over this nation's roads and rails." In order for a report to be filed on an expedited schedule, on a Friday when the House isn't in session, there must be a Unanimous Consent order by Congress. Congresswoman Berkley was alerted to the Republicans' backdoor tactics by Minority Leader Richard Gephardt, and her objection means that the Commerce Committee's report will have to wait until 1 of 2 6/3/1999 .1:51 PM