Mike Thompson: “It seems often when we agree with a decision, it is based on scientific evidence and when we disagree, it is based on…”

“It seems often when we agree with a decision, it is based on scientific evidence and when we disagree, it is based on politics. In this particular matter, the decision not to have the Tennessee site designated as a storage facility actually was also addressed by the courts at that time, and they determined that the DOE at that time in making that decision, violated the Nuclear Waste Act in failing to consult with the State before selecting the sites in Tennessee. So before Congress even got involved in the matter, the courts had addressed the matter and enjoined the DOE from putting the facility in Tennessee. Talking about objective criteria, I think population is one. As I mentioned, the city of Oak Ridge is a city of 28,000 people, in sharp contrast to a place like the Nevada test site, which has a population density of one-half person per square mile. This is not raw politics by any stretch of the imagination.”