[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 106 (Friday, July 29, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1695]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          PRIVATE NUCLEAR WASTE DUMP ON NATIVE AMERICAN LANDS

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. DENNIS J. KUCINICH

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 28, 2005

  Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I would like to submit the following 
speech for the Record:

       I wish to welcome musicians Ani DiFranco and the Indigo 
     Girls (Amy Ray and Emily Saliers), actor James Cromwell, 
     actress Joan McIntosh, leading opponents to PFS from the 
     Skull Valley Goshute Tribe--Margene Bullcreek and Lena 
     Knight, and Winona LaDuke, program director at Honor the 
     Earth.
       Thank you everyone for being here today. Your presence 
     means much to us. Perspectives from those not inside the 
     beltway are essential if we are to make the best public 
     policy choices.
       Today we will hear from the Native Americans who will be 
     living next to a radioactive waste dump if the powers that be 
     have their way. Private Fuel Storage (PFS) is a consortium of 
     nuclear utilities that desire to dump nuclear waste on sacred 
     Native American grounds in Utah.
       The proposal put forth by PFS would house 44,000 tons of 
     high-level radioactive waste and is unjust, extremely 
     dangerous, and unnecessary. Placing a giant nuclear waste 
     dump on Native American land, against the consent of the 
     tribe, violates Native American rights and raises 
     environmental justice issues.
       The PFS proposal puts the safety of the American people at 
     risk. High-level irradiated waste would need to be 
     transferred thousands of miles across the country in order to 
     get to the facility. This creates the possibility of a 
     potentially catastrophic radioactivity release during 
     transportation due to an accident or terrorist attack. I 
     represent Cleveland and my constituents are not happy about 
     living on a transportation route.
       This facility is not necessary because it does not reduce 
     the risks posed by high-level radioactive waste, and would 
     only exacerbate the problems currently facing nuclear power 
     in the United States.
       In response, 61 Members of Congress signed a letter that 
     urged the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to deny the license 
     for PFS. We are awaiting the NRC's response.
       I urge all of you here today to demand accountability, 
     responsibility, justice, and fairness. We cannot allow this 
     trampling of Native American rights.

                          ____________________