[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 160 (Thursday, October 2, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Page S10488]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. HATCH (for himself and Mr. Reid):
  S. 3680. A bill to amend the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 to provide for 
thorium fuel cycle nuclear power generation; to the Committee on Energy 
and Natural Resources.
  Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, today I rise to introduce the Thorium 
Energy Independence and Security Act of 2008, together with my dear 
friend and colleague Senator Harry Reid. This is a simple bill that 
would establish offices at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the 
Department of Energy to regulate domestic thorium nuclear power 
generation and oversee possible demonstrations of thorium nuclear fuel 
assemblies.
  I am very much in favor of our Nation's nuclear power industry. It is 
an industry that has successfully relied on mixed oxide uranium fuel 
for decades, and I foresee a long future for nuclear power. I am 
particularly excited about the potential of thorium nuclear power as a 
new source of nuclear power in the future.
  Thorium nuclear power has a number of potential benefits over 
conventional uranium. For one, it is much more abundant in the world 
and in the United States than uranium. Also, a thorium fuel rod would 
remain the reactor about three times as long as conventional nuclear 
fuel, thereby cutting the volume of spent nuclear fuel coming out of 
reactors by as much as two-thirds. Thorium nuclear fuel could also 
significantly reduce the possibility that weapons grade material would 
result from the process. Finally, a thorium fuel cycle can be used as a 
very effective and efficient means for disposing of existing plutonium 
stockpiles.
  Our Nation has focused mostly on mixed oxide nuclear fuel cycles, and 
our regulatory structure reflects that. With the growing interest in 
thorium nuclear power in the world and in the United States, it is time 
we made sure our government has a regulatory infrastructure in place to 
accommodate this new generation of nuclear power.
  Clearly, we are introducing this legislation late in the 110th 
Congress. We hope to raise awareness of the bill and generate feedback 
from interested parties. A number of governments throughout the world 
are aggressively seeking to establish thorium nuclear power as an 
element of their power supply. These governments want the benefits of 
nuclear power, without the difficulties associated with large volumes 
of waste, much of which can be turned to weapons grade material. Our 
aim with this legislation is to ensure that the United States does not 
fall behind the movement. I hope my colleagues will take a look at the 
potential for thorium power.
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