Political Quotes

“First of all, the bill we have before us, S. 1936, is really an important bill that does two significant things. First, it keeps a promise, a promise that was made to the taxpayers of this country who have contributed about $12 billion currently to the nuclear waste fund, but, unfortunately, we have nothing to show for it at this time. It also takes important steps to a safer future. Today, high-level nuclear waste and high-radioactivity-used-type nuclear fuel is accumulating in this country at over 40 sites in 41 States, including waste stored at the Department of Energy weapons facilities, stored, Mr. President, in populated areas, near our neighborhoods, near our schools, on the shores of our lakes and rivers, and in the backyards of constituents, young and old, all across this land. Unfortunately, spent fuel is being stored in pools that were not designed for long-term storage. Some of this fuel is already 30 years old. That is not to say it is not safe. It simply was not designed for long-term or semipermanent storage.”