[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 66 (Thursday, May 21, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H3631]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               NUCLEAR UTILITY INDUSTRY AND 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, America's favorite pastime, baseball, is 
upon us here in our Nation's Capital. However, the nuclear utility 
industry is striking out, and it seems they are becoming a backstop, 
rather than a leader for common sense.
  Recently Secretary Pena pitched a proposal of up to $5 billion for 
financial relief to utilities to cover on-site nuclear waste storage 
costs. Unfortunately, and yet to no one's surprise, the nuclear 
industry balked at the idea, even though the U.S. Court of Appeals 
denied the utility request ordering and directing the Energy Department 
to immediately begin accepting their nuclear waste.
  Here was a chance for all Americans to hit that home run by keeping 
this deadly waste on-site, rather than endangering the lives and health 
of citizens across this Nation, transporting it through their 
communities. But, once again, the nuclear industry is holding out for a 
bigger contract, just so they can pad their pockets.
  Mr. Speaker, the nuclear industry is trying to build an expensive 
taxpayer-paid expansion team, but Americans are not going to accept the 
unsafe and ridiculous curve balls this industry is throwing at America.

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