Lisa Murkowski: “I point out that what we are advocating in the pending legislation is to authorize the storage of waste in a temporary…”

“I point out that what we are advocating in the pending legislation is to authorize the storage of waste in a temporary repository in the general area of Yucca Mountain, where we have already expended more than $6 billion to develop a permanent waste repository. The idea of moving it there and putting it in temporary storage is simply to alleviate the situation in some of our nuclear power plants where they have reached the maximum storage capability allowed by their respective States and State regulations. My purpose in bringing this up is simply to note that while we are attempting to move this material and get the authorization out to the Nevada test site, where we have had tests for some 50 years, high-level radioactive nuclear tests, the issue of moving is, I think, relative to the reality associated with when Yucca Mountain receives certification and licensing, then the waste will have to be moved and simply go there. By moving it now, we simply allow our nuclear industry to continue to provide the 22 percent of the power generation until we get the permanent repository licensed and certified. The point is, we will move it sooner or later.”