[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 14934]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                               H.R. 5987

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. EARL BLUMENAUER

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, September 21, 2012

  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, yesterday I voted against H.R. 5987, the 
Manhattan Project National Historical Park Act. I recognize that the 
Manhattan Project played an important role in the United States' energy 
history and has had a significant impact in the Pacific Northwest, and 
it makes sense for us to draw attention to places like Hanford, 
Washington. However, adding these responsibilities to the National Park 
Service's portfolio when the agency is already underfunded and 
overworked does not make sense.
  It is frustrating to me that while we are told by the current House 
majority that there is not sufficient funding to clean up nuclear sites 
such as Hanford, there is apparently enough funding to turn the 
Manhattan Project into a national park. We should focus first on making 
sure these places are safe for the human and wildlife populations that 
live near them, before marketing them as a tourist destination.