[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 143 (Wednesday, October 22, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H8932]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 DANGERS OF TRANSPORTING NUCLEAR WASTE

  (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, in the upcoming debate over H.R. 1270, many 
of my colleagues will make the unfortunate statement that the shipment 
of the world's most deadly material, nuclear waste, is safe. That is 
wrong. It is absolutely and totally wrong.
  The Sandia National Laboratories found that terrorists using a small 
amount of military explosives could blow just a 6-inch hole in a 
container, releasing 2,000 to 10,000 curies, a deadly amount of 
radiation.
  Furthermore, a 1985 Department of Energy contractor report stated 
that the release of only 1,380 curies could be sufficient to 
contaminate, get this, 42 square miles, an area that could take up to 
460 days to clean up at a price tag for the taxpayers of more than $620 
million.
  Mr. Speaker, another DOE contractor estimated that that could cost up 
to $19.4 billion, that is with a B, billion, to clean up.
  Mr. Speaker, we are aware of the real threat of terrorism and 
accidents in this country. I say to my colleagues, if it could happen 
in their district, there is no reason to transport nuclear waste.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on H.R. 1270.

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