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.
“WEST VALLEY DEMONSTRATION PROJECT” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Energy was published in the Senate section on pages S5467 on June 10, 1997.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
WEST VALLEY DEMONSTRATION PROJECT
Mr. MOYNIHAN. Mr. President, I rise to note that May 28 was a significant day in West Valley, NY, and in the field of nuclear waste disposal. In 1982 we authorized the West Valley demonstration project, in which we would learn to take liquid nuclear waste and mix it with glass. The process is called vitrification, and yields ten foot high glass logs that can be stored safely. After 14 years of preparation, research, and testing, vitrification began last July. On May 28th the 100th glass log was produced.
The success of the vitrification process developed at West Valley and at the Savannah River in Georgia led the Department of Energy to select it as the preferred method of disposal for such wastes. This is an accomplishment that the many hundreds of people in western New York who worked on the project can be most proud of.
They have another 110 logs to go at West Valley, but it is clear that the technology works. It can and will be replicated at other sites around the country, helping to solve one of our most vexing and serious waste disposal problems. Moreover, vitrification can be used to store other types of hazardous waste without fear of leaking. I congratulate all those at Westinghouse and the many agencies involved with the West Valley project for achieving this milestone.
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