The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“TRANSPORTING LIQUID NUCLEAR WASTE” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Energy was published in the House of Representatives section on pages H6756 on July 24, 2014.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
TRANSPORTING LIQUID NUCLEAR WASTE
(Mr. HIGGINS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute.)
Mr. HIGGINS. Madam Speaker, I rise to express my serious concerns with the Department of Energy's proposal to transport liquid nuclear waste from Ontario's Chalk River Research reactor to the Department of Energy's Savannah River Site, across several States and over the Peace Bridge, which is located in my western New York congressional district.
Unlike spent nuclear fuel, which can be safely transported in solid form, in liquid form, it is more radioactive and complicated to transfer. Most concerning is that in the event of a spill, liquid highly-enriched uranium would be difficult to contain.
A major contamination in the Buffalo-Niagara region could potentially have dire consequences on the Great Lakes, the Niagara region, and the greater Buffalo-Niagara population.
Madam Speaker, a plan that carries this level of risk should not be done without a thorough review. The Department of Energy must undertake a formal environmental impact statement before proceeding.
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