[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 85 (Wednesday, June 18, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H3869]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          URGING MEMBERS NOT TO WASTE THEIR VOTE ON H.R. 1270

  (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, I have been in this well many times to 
discuss the facts surrounding the nuclear waste debate. I have largely 
concentrated on the issues of transporting nuclear waste across this 
Nation's highways and rail system. Over and over I have stressed that 
there are very real safety issues that must be addressed and resolved 
before we as legislators mandate a life-threatening policy on the 
American people who live in our districts.
  To further illustrate my point, Mr. Speaker, I would like to share a 
recent mishap. On May 22 of this year an unexpected pressure buildup 
forced the top off a large metal shipping container at the U.S. DOE's 
Fernauld site near Cincinnati, OH. The container held five 55-gallon 
drums of radioactive waste. This happened to a container that was a 
stationary container, not in the transport arena. If these caps are 
this unsafe, how can we pass a bill that would endanger the lives of 
every citizen in this country? I urge Members not to waste their vote 
on H.R. 1270.

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