[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 65 (Friday, May 16, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H2796]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  URGING MEMBERS TO VOTE ``NO'' ON INTERIM STORAGE NUCLEAR WASTE SITE

  (Mr. GIBBONS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, the environment and safety of America is in 
danger. Two bills have been introduced to Congress, S. 104 and H.R. 
1270, that would establish an interim storage facility at Yucca 
Mountain, NV. Several problems become very evident when the legislation 
is examined.
  First, moving 80,000 tons of waste from 109 reactor sites will 
traverse 43 States.
  Second, in the last 20 years there have been more than 621 
earthquakes within a 50-mile radius of Yucca Mountain.
  Third, the Congressional Budget Office estimates a central interim 
storage facility will cost taxpayers $2.3 billion from 1997 to the year 
2002, seven times more than on-site storage.
  Finally, the Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board, a bipartisan 
organization created by Congress, concluded that ``There is no 
compelling technical or safety reason to move spent fuel to a central 
facility.''
  This issue is not just a Nevada safety issue. Mr. Speaker, I urge my 
colleagues to vote no on interim storage.

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