John Ensign: “The government's own scientists at the Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board said that there is no hurry, that we do not…”

“The government's own scientists at the Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board said that there is no hurry, that we do not need to do this now. There is time to do a cost-benefit analysis. We are not running out of space, there is plenty of space. All you have to do is build cement pads at the nuclear facilities with dry cast storage. The NRC has said that is good for 100 years. It has been mentioned we have not had an accident yet. Mr. Chairman, I am from Las Vegas. We go on odds in Las Vegas. With 100 miles or whatever they said that have been traveled so far with no accidents, the odds are, one is coming. All you have to do is see how many train wrecks we have had in the last several years. Imagine what one of those train wrecks would do if the people that have done some of the early studies were wrong on these canisters. We are not talking about a small risk here; we are talking about major environmental safety hazards. I think a reasonable cost-benefit risk assessment is very justified. I would urge a yes vote on this amendment.”