[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 4]
[House]
[Page 5247]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




    THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY'S FY14 BUDGET PROPOSAL ON NUCLEAR WASTE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Shimkus) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address the Department of 
Energy's budget proposal on nuclear waste. It's a joke--but as a 
representative of nuclear electricity consumers and taxpayers, I don't 
find it funny.
  DOE Assistant Secretary Peter Lyons says we should ``cut our losses 
and move on'' from Yucca Mountain. We've spent $15 billion on Yucca 
Mountain, but this administration says we should just give up and go 
try somewhere else, hoping some other State will be a willing host. The 
DOE budget proposes spending $5.6 billion over the next 10 years to 
start over and maybe, just maybe, have a permanent repository by 2048.
  The details provided for this new plan are scant to say the least--14 
pages. DOE proposes to abandon $15 billion and 30 years of work, start 
over, create a new government entity to be responsible, and find 
willing States to host two interim storage facilities and a 
repository--all within 14 pages. I consider it brainstorming, not a 
plan. It's certainly not something that justifies $5.6 billion. In 
addition, DOE has repeatedly stated the need for Congress to pass 
legislation, but has yet to propose any. That shows the administration 
is not trying to solve this problem, just avoid it by pointing the 
finger at Congress.
  Nuclear electricity consumers pay for a permanent repository for 
spent nuclear fuel. What would they get after spending another 10 years 
and $5.6 billion? A pilot interim storage facility with limited 
capacity.

                              {time}  1020

  A pilot facility? Dry cask storage, the same technology that will be 
used at the interim storage facility, is currently used at 65 
locations. As for transportation, the U.S. nuclear industry has 
completed 3,000 shipments of used nuclear fuel over 1.7 million miles 
of roads and railroads. What's the purpose of having a pilot facility?
  The only other pilot facility is the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in 
New Mexico. I've been there, and it's an impressive facility. But that 
pilot project became a permanent facility with a 10,000-year 
environmental standard. Given that backdrop, does DOE really think some 
unsuspecting State will actually fall for the idea that a pilot interim 
storage facility will truly be temporary?
  But $5.6 billion doesn't begin to address the real costs hidden in 
this proposal. Instead of merely paying for a repository, nuclear 
electricity consumers will now have to write off the cost of abandoning 
the Yucca Mountain site where we've spent $15 billion. DOE's previous 
estimates for transportation were $19 billion; so if DOE is now going 
to have to transport it twice, once to an interim storage and then 
later to a repository, ratepayers will be on the hook for an extra $19 
billion. All this, plus the $5.6 billion in the budget, equals $39.6 
billion.
  And that's just the bill for nuclear electricity consumers. Taxpayers 
will continue to pay for the liability costs of DOE's failure to 
provide disposal. That cost is $2.6 billion so far and projected to be 
$20 billion by 2020. The Government Accountability Office tells us that 
it's faster to finish Yucca Mountain than to start over with interim 
storage. Yet this administration prefers to start over, disregarding 
the cost to the taxpayer.
  Electricity consumers and taxpayers shouldn't have to pay for 
President Obama's campaign promise to Harry Reid, certainly not $39.6 
billion worth. Mr. Speaker, DOE's proposal is a boondoggle at a time 
when our citizens can least afford it. I, for one, am not laughing.
  Mr. Speaker, as we remember the tragic events of yesterday, we are 
reminded that there is sin and evil in the world. We pray for Boston, 
our country, and the world, but the business of the Republic must go 
on.

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