Lisa Murkowski: “the question before the body now is whether we want to leave the waste where it is, 41 States in 80 sites, or do…”

“the question before the body now is whether we want to leave the waste where it is, 41 States in 80 sites, or do something about the waste. Do we want the waste to move out again because of an inability to reach a decision? Where would it move? Nobody wants it in any of the 50 States. It would move out to the Pacific. God knows where it would move. Today we must make an important environmental decision which will lead to a safer future for all Americans. Currently, Mr. President, as I have noted, we have the waste stored in 80 sites in 41 States. This is in addition to waste stored at DOE facilities, and it is in our backyards across the land. Do we want that waste to stay there, or do we want to move it? That is the question. Every year that goes by our ability to continue to store nuclear waste at each of these sites in a safe and environmentally responsible way diminishes. Our temporary storage facilities were designed for just that--temporary storage. We have struggled with this nuclear waste issue for more than a decade. We have collected $13 billion from the taxpayers, but some are unprepared to meet the Government's promise to take the waste by 1998, next year. The administration's position would suggest that we are undermining the permanent repository program. They have not read the bill. The reality is that it is the only way to save the permanent repository program.”