Brian Bilbray: “let us be very frank about this. The people that oppose the Texas compact traditionally oppose all of the low-level…”

“let us be very frank about this. The people that oppose the Texas compact traditionally oppose all of the low-level radiation compacts. Let us remember that 20, 30 years ago this material was going into landfills across this country. Those who oppose the compacts and oppose siting these facilities have to ask themselves, it is easy to attack a location, an option, but it is awful hard to get a better option. I would just ask those who oppose this compact or any other compact to remember that the Federal Government mandated this approach, legislated this approach, and now there are those in the Federal Government that would love to obstruct this approach. I just ask those that do not like the options that are being proposed by this compact, what is your alternative? To continue to leave this waste stream in Dallas, in Houston, in Galveston, in the hospitals and the research facilities in Texas and in other States? What is your option of what do we do with this low- level waste stream? This is the Federal mandated option that we placed on States. This is better than having the waste stream in our neighborhoods, next to our facilities, where our children are playing, where our grandparents are staying. So when you talk about this and say, is this the proper site, let me challenge you by saying, is the option better? Is it better to leave the waste stream where it is now, backing up and piling up in our neighborhoods?”