[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 6 (Wednesday, January 11, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E85]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                 NUCLEAR WASTE POLICY REASSESSMENT ACT

                                 ______


                       HON. BARBARA F. VUCANOVICH

                               of nevada

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, January 11, 1995
  Mrs. VUCANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, today I'm introducing the Nuclear Waste 
Policy Reassessment Act of 1995. Congress has shown little concern for 
the science of Yucca Mountain. Instead, the siting of the Nation's 
high-level nuclear waste repository has become nothing more than a 
political football.
  My bill prohibits site characterization of Yucca Mountain for 3 years 
while the National Academy of Sciences conducts a study to determine if 
the current process of studying only Yucca Mountain makes scientific 
sense, or whether alternatives should be looked at. I believe that a 
body concerned with scientific objectivity can not possibly endorse the 
further site characterization of Yucca Mountain and the current 
exclusion of other options.
  During the suspension of work on the Yucca Mountain site the 
legislation provides for funding of dry cask storage at existing 
reactor sites. As the deadline approaches for the Federal Government to 
take possession of this waste, we must provide some type of storage; 
onsite storage appears to be the most workable solution.
  In recognition of slippage in the deadlines for study and 
construction of a high-level nuclear waste facility, this legislation 
moves the deadline for opening any nuclear waste dump back to 2015.
  I have been consistently opposed to siting the Nation's high-level 
nuclear waste repository in Nevada, and I will continue to fight 
Congress' abuse of Nevada with all means available. It's not fair for 
Congress to make Nevada into the nuclear dumping ground for the rest of 
the country. I hope my colleagues will support my efforts to see that 
science prevails over politics.


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