[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 16]
[House]
[Page 23010]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                      SCIENCE SHOWS IT IS NOT SAFE

  (Mr. GIBBONS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. GIBBONS. Madam Speaker, this Wednesday, scientists will present a 
research paper on Alloy 22, the material the Department of Energy has 
proposed to be used for the disposal canister for spent nuclear fuel 
and high-level waste at Yucca Mountain, Nevada.
  The DOE has based the safety of storing high-level waste at Yucca 
Mountain almost solely on the performance of these waste canisters, 
since the existing conditions at Yucca Mountain are so poor.
  However, this latest research shows that the safety of the canister 
itself proves to be just as poor.
  In fact, scientists induced significant corrosion on the Alloy 22 
within only 15 days, raising serious questions whether the material 
would survive even the first 1,000 years in Yucca Mountain, let alone 
the 10,000 years needed for safe storage.
  It seems that yet again that science is proving that storing high-
level nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain would be a disastrous and deadly 
decision.
  I yield back this administration's nuclear storage plan, which is 
obviously based on trying to put a square peg in a round hole.
  Madam Speaker, I include the following advisory for the Record:
                                           Office of the Governor,


                                  Agency for Nuclear Projects,

                                                  Carson City, NV,


                                advisory

       Scientists working for the State of Nevada will present the 
     results of preliminary research on Alloy 22, the material the 
     Department of Energy (DOE) has proposed to be used for the 
     disposal canister for spent nuclear fuel and high level waste 
     in the proposed repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. The 
     presentation will be made to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory 
     Commission's Advisory Committee on Nuclear Waste at their 
     122nd meeting Wednesday, October 18, 2000 at Two White Flint 
     North, Room 2B3 11545, Rockville Pike, Maryland.
       The Department of Energy has assigned more than 95% of the 
     performance of Yucca Mountain to the waste packages because 
     the existing conditions at the Yucca Mountain Site are so 
     poor. In preliminary tests, scientists working for the State 
     of Nevada have, within 15 days, induced significant corrosion 
     on the Alloy 22 which raises questions whether the material 
     will survive even the first 1,000 years in the Yucca Mountain 
     environment. The Department of Energy has conceded that Yucca 
     Mountain itself cannot contain the wastes and that if the 
     metal containers fail rapidly in the Mountain's environment, 
     DOE will be back to square one in their attempts to make 
     Yucca Mountain work as a repository for high level waste and 
     spent nuclear fuel.
       If you would like additional information concerning the 
     Advisory Committee meeting or the Alloy 22 research, please 
     contact the State of Nevada Governor's Agency for Nuclear 
     Projects at the above phone number or address.

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