[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 22 (Thursday, March 2, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Page S1115]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 PRICE-ANDERSON AMENDMENTS ACT OF 2000

 Mr. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I am pleased to cosponsor the 
Price-Anderson Amendments Act of 2000 with my colleague and the ranking 
minority member of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, 
Senator Bingaman.
  For over 40 years the Price-Anderson Act has provided a comprehensive 
system of liability coverage for nuclear incidents and has been 
extended three times since 1957, most recently in 1988. The act's 
authority to extend new coverage will expire on August 1, 2002, and I 
believe that it is important that we extend the authorities well in 
advance of that date.
  When we reauthorized the law in 1988, we asked both the Department of 
Energy and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to review the Act and 
submit reports assessing its value and the need for further extension 
as well as making recommendations for any necessary changes. Both 
agencies recommended that the Act be extended with only minor changes. 
This legislation makes those relatively minor modifications and extends 
the authorization for an additional ten years.
  Mr. President, the Price-Anderson Act is an important aspect of the 
development of nuclear energy in the United States. If we are going to 
meet any of the emission goals set forth for our domestic electricity 
production, then nuclear power necessarily must remain a vital 
component of any energy policy. The Price-Anderson Act is essential to 
allow contractors and suppliers to prudently take the financial risks 
associated with nuclear activities for the Department of Energy as well 
as those undertaken by commercial nuclear facilities licensed by the 
Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The Price-Anderson Act provides 
important protections to the public in the unlikely case of a nuclear 
incident. This legislation will extend those protections as well as 
making other necessary amendments to the Act.
  I fully support this legislation and I hope that we can have it 
enacted expeditiously.

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