[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 97 (Thursday, July 10, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H5027]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




AMERICAN TAXPAYERS FORCED TO PAY FOR TRANSPORTING NUCLEAR WASTE ACROSS 
                              THE COUNTRY

  (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, a new scheme is emerging. Under H.R. 1270, 
the Nuclear Waste Policy Act, American taxpayers will be forced to pay 
for the transportation of nuclear waste across this country. At a time 
when we are trying to reduce the burden on taxpayers, now they will be 
forced to pay huge sums for the construction of an expensive interim 
storage facility at Yucca Mountain, NV. And, Mr. Speaker, taxpayers 
will also be liable for the cost of cleanup of any accident that occurs 
during transportation, not the nuclear power industry.
  A DOE contractor report concluded that if an accident were to occur 
in a rural area during transportation cleanup, costs to the taxpayers 
could range between $176 million to $19.4 billion. A cleanup in an 
urban area would cost considerably more, perhaps $9.5 billion just to 
raise and rebuild the most contaminated square mile.
  This is a pivotal time in Congress when we are trying to balance the 
budget and give tax breaks to hardworking Americans. Why then would we 
want than to shoulder the burdens of H.R. 1270?

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