Transcript of remarks for Motion to Recommit Nuclear Bill, March 22, 2000 (3 pages)

Remarks for Motion to Recommit Nuclear Bill 3 - 2 2 - ? 0 0 MR. SPEAKER, I RISE TO OFFER A MOTION TO RECOMMIT S. 1287 TO COMMITTEE. THE INTENSE DEBATE WE HAVE HEARD TODAY MAKES IT CLEAR THAT THE HOUSE SHOULD NOT ACT ON THIS FLAWED LEGISLATION, BUT SHOULD FURTHER CONSIDER IT IN COMMITTEE. LET ME FIRST SAY THAT I OPPOSE S. 1287 BECAUSE IT WOULD N IRRESPONSIBLY SHIP NUCLEAR WASTE TO YUCCA MOUNTAIN, A LOCATION THAT SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE HAS ESTABLISHED CANNOT SAFELY CONTAIN THE MASSIVE HEAT AND RADIOACTIVITY GENERATED BY 77,000 TONS OF y HIGH LEVEL NUCLEAR WASTE. AFTER MORE THAN 15 YEARS OF STUDY, IT IS CLEAR THAT YUCCA MOUNTAIN IS NOT WHAT CONGRESS HAD IN MIND WHEN IT SET HIGH STANDARDS FOR FINDING A NUCLEAR WASTE DISPOSAL SITE. A NUCLEAR WASTE SITE MUST BE PROVEN TO BE FREE OF GROUND WATER CONTAMINATION FOR MANY, MANY CENTURIES TO COME. BUT YUCCA MOUNTAIN IS NOW KNOWN TO BE AT HIGH RISK FOR WATER CONTAMINATION THAT WILL SPEED THE RELEASE OF RADIOACTIVITY INTO WATER SUPPLIES OVER A VAST AREA. A NUCLEAR WASTE SITE MUST BE FREE OF EARTHQUAKES. BUT YUCCA MOUNTAIN IS IN ONE OF THE MORE ACTIVE EARTHQUAKE ZONES IN THE COUNTRY. IT HAS BEEN SHAKEN REPEATEDLY, EVEN OVER THE PAST YEAR, BY SEVERE EARTHQUAKE JOLTS. A NUCLEAR WASTE SITE MUST BE FREE OF VOLCANIC ACTIVITY. BUT SCIENTIFIC FINDINGS SHOW YUCCA MOUNTAIN IS SUBJECT O POTENTIAL ERUPTION DEEP WITHIN THE EARTH THAT COULD CAUSE A CATASTROPHE OF UNIMAGINABLE PROPORTIONS. I OFFER THIS DAMNING ASSESSMENT OF YUCCA MOUNTAIN AS A BACKDROP TO THE MANY FLAWS IDENTIFIED WITH S. 1287. BILLS LIKE S. 1287 ONLY EXIST BECAUSE THEY OFFER A POLITICAL, NOT A SCIENTIFIC, APPROACH TO THE NATION'S NUCLEAR WASTE PROBLEM. S. 1287 IS THE LATEST PLOY IN A LONG LINE OF ACTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN TAKEN TO UNDERMINE THE TOUGH STANDARDS FOR A NUCLEAR REPOSITORY THAT CONGRESS ESTABLISHED 18 YEARS AGO. S. 1287 CONSTRAINS THE ENVIORNMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY FROM FROM IMPLEMENTING THEIR FINAL RULE FOR RADIATIONS STANDARDS. AT THE SAME TIME, THIS BILL OPENS THE DOOR TO MAKING RADIATION STANDARDS A POLITICAL EXERCISE, IN THE HOPE THAT A NEW ADMINISTRATION WOULD SHIFT ITS POLICY AWAY FROM STRONG RADIATION STANDARDS, TOWARD MORE LAX LIMITS ON RADIATION EXPOSURE. S. 1287 ALSO TAKES A DANGEROUS AND ARBITRARY POSITION BY MANDATING THAT HIGH LEVEL NUCLEAR WASTE WOULD BE SHIPPED TO NEVADA BEGINNING IN 2006....YEARS BEFORE TESTING AND CONSTRUCTION AT YUCCA MOUNTAIN COULD POSSIBLY BE COMPLETED. THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO LOGIC TO SENDING HIGH LEVEL NUCLEAR WASTE TO NEVADA...THE MOST DANGEROUS SUBSTANCE KNOWN TO HUMANKIND....TO A PLACE THAT ISN'T SAFE TO BEGIN WITH AND CERTAINLY WOULD NOT BE READY TO SAFELY ACCEPT THIS TOXIC GARBAGE. FOR THESE AND OTHER REASONS, A GREAT MANY AMENDMENTS HAVE BEEN DRAFTED BY MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE, WHO AGREE THAT S. 1287 IS A DANGEROUS AND IRRESPONSIBLE APPROACH TO DEALING WITH OUR GREATEST ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGE, NUCLEAR WASTE. BUT WE ARE OPERATING UNDER A CLOSED RULE, AND NO AMENDMENTS WELL BE CONSIDERED. IN VIEW OF THIS RULE, OUR ONLY REASONABLE OPTION IS TO RECOMMIT THIS BELL SO THAT ALL ISSUES MAY BE FULLY ADDRESSED. HERE ARE SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT AMENDMENTS WOULD ADDRESS, HAD THEY BEEN ALLOWED: -IMPROVING THE TESTING OF NUCLEAR SHIPPING CONTAINERS, WHICH ARE THE ONLY ONLY LINE OF DEFENSE AGAINST NUCLEAR CONTAMINATION ALONG SHIPPING ROUTES IN 43 STATES...SHIPPING ROUTES THAT PASS THROUGH CITIES AND TOWNS WITH A COMBINED POPULATION OF OVER 50 MILLION PEOPLE. -REQUIRING CONSULTATION WITH STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AND PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUES PRIOR TO SHIPPING. -BEEFING UP OUR EMERGENCY RESPONSE CAPABILITIES TO DEAL WITH RADIATION RELEASES CAUSED BY SHIPPING ACCIDENTS, INCLUDING FUNDING FOR EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAMS. WITH WELL OVER 100,000 RAIL AND HIGHWAY SHIPMENTS LOOMING, DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY SAFETY EXPERTS TELL US ACCIDENTS WILL HAPPEN. IT IS A MATHEMATICAL CERTAINTY. YET, S. 11287 FAILS TO ADDRESS THIS AWFUL REALITY. -PROHIBITING TRANSPORTATION IN SCHOOL ZONES. -PROTECTING EPA'S AUTHORITY TO SET RADIATION STANDARDS. -REQUIRING PRIVATE CARRIERS OF NUCLEAR WASTE TO FOLLOW SELECTED ROUTES, DETERMINED IN ADVANCE. -PROTECTING THE AMERICAN TAXPAYER FROM THE ESCALATING COSTS OF NUCLEAR WASTE. -REQUIRING ADVANCE NOTIFICATION TO SAFETY AGENCIES AND COMMUNITIES OF ALL NUCLEAR WASTE SHIPMENTS GOING THROUGH STATES, CITIES AND TOWNS. - ASSURING COMPLIANCE WITH STATE AND LOCAL LAWS REGARDING TRANSPORTATION AND STORAGE OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS. -PROHIBITING STORAGE OF NUCLEAR WASTE IN AREAS KNOWN TO BE PLAGUED BY NATURAL DISASTERS. -PREVENTING NEGLIGENCE OR MISCONDUCT BY CONTRACTORS WHO WOULD HANDLE AND SHIP NUCLEAR WASTE. THIS LIST OF AMENDMENTS IS BY NO MEANS COMPLETE. MANY MORE HAVE BEEN SUGGESTED, AND ALL OF THEM SHOULD BE CONSIDERED. I KNOW OF AT LEAST 24 AMENDMENTS THAT MEMBERS WOULD SUBMIT UNDER AN OPEN RULE. CLEARLY, OUR DISCUSSION TODAY OF S. 1287 IS INCOMPLETE, AS THESE AMENDMENTS WILL NOT BE DEBATED UNDER THE CLOSED RULE. THE WISE COURSE OF ACTION IS TO RECOMMIT, AND I CALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT FOR THIS MOTION TO RECOMMIT S. 1287 TO COMMITEE.