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.
“THE NUCLEAR WASTE POLICY ACT OF 1997” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Energy was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E1826 on Sept. 23, 1997.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
THE NUCLEAR WASTE POLICY ACT OF 1997
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HON. LINDSEY O. GRAHAM
of south carolina
in the house of representatives
Tuesday, September 23, 1997
Mr. GRAHAM. Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate Chairman Bliley and the Commerce Committee for passing out of committee H.R. 1270, The Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1997.
Fifteen years ago the Department of Energy, under the Nuclear Waste Policy Act, was given the responsibility of determining the best location for a centralized nuclear storage facility and for readying it to receive irradiated fuel by January 1998.
The rate payers, our constituents, have financed this operation at a cost of $13 billion. We have built and tested shipping containers and found them to be reliable and safe. Our European counterparts regularly ship similar canisters both domestically and internationally. With the passage of H.R. 1270, we can consolidate our spent nuclear fuel in a centralized facility.
So why the holdup? The problem is not money or safety, but politics.
As we wait for passage of H.R. 1270, the price tag to our constituents grows. Continued delays could force nuclear powerplants to build additional storage space at the rate payers' expense. Furthermore, because Congress fails to use the funds accumulated in the nuclear waste fund, other nonrelated projects siphon money from this depleting account.
It is time that money collected for the nuclear waste fund be spent for its intended purpose and that the administration keeps their promise to the American people. Let's stop wasting our citizen's money and finish the job: Support H.R. 1270.
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