[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 87 (Wednesday, June 26, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Page S6053]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             NUCLEAR POWER

  Mr. MURKOWSKI. Madam President, I have listened carefully to the 
Senator from Vermont, and I think how ironic it is that we are at this 
time contemplating the disposition of the nuclear industry in this 
State, a nuclear industry that does not emit pollution associated with 
air quality, an industry that supplies us with 20 to 21 percent of the 
total power generated in this country. We have an obligation to address 
what to do with the nuclear waste. The House has done its job. The 
Senate is postured to act.
  The proposal will come up when we return from the July 4 recess. It 
is anticipated that on July 9 there will be a motion to proceed 
followed by 10 hours of debate. I urge my colleagues to recognize our 
responsibility. As the Senator from Vermont suggests, the problems 
associated with hydrocarbon pollution, of burning oil, gas, and coal, 
we do not have with nuclear.
  We have an obligation, though, as to what to do with the waste. As a 
consequence, a number of sites were selected for consideration on the 
east coast and the west coast. The reality that nobody wants the waste 
is evident, but factually it has to go somewhere. The Japanese and the 
French are proceeding with reprocessing. Unfortunately, we have chosen 
not to do that. I personally think that was a mistake. We should 
reprocess, and I think eventually, regardless of the disposition of 
Yucca Mountain, that Yucca Mountain should be a retrievable depository. 
At some point in time, we will take the waste and reprocess it and 
substantially eliminate some of the concerns, whether proliferation or 
the long-term concerns, over any water that may go in the site.

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