[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 38 (Thursday, March 30, 2006)]
[House]
[Page H1323]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    YUCCA MOUNTAIN AND NUCLEAR WASTE

  (Ms. BERKLEY asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. BERKLEY. Mr. Speaker, just when I think the Department of Energy 
couldn't become more incompetent or dangerous, they do something that 
proves me wrong.
  You will find this cartoon character on a taxpayer-funded Web site 
run by the Department of Energy. His job, Yucca Mountain Johnny, is to 
convince kids in Nevada that nuclear waste is okay and that the State 
of Nevada is a safe place to store nuclear waste.
  What really bothers me is the message that Yucca Mountain Johnny is 
giving to our school children. This is akin to Joe Camel telling our 
school kids that smoking is healthy.
  The Department of Energy ought to dump Yucca Johnny and his slanted, 
one-sided view of how our Nation should address the issue of nuclear 
waste disposal. We should stop using taxpayers' money to spread this 
message. It is despicable.
  The Las Vegas Sun wrote in an editorial on March 25, ``Children don't 
need a cartoon character to tell them what is easily understood by most 
people: nuclear waste is dangerous. Don't let anyone bury it in your 
backyard.''
  Save the people of the State of Nevada, the school children, and get 
rid of Yucca Mountain Johnny. It is disgusting.

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