Sam Gibbons: “H.R. 45, the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1999, opens the door to the dangerous transportation of high-level nuclear…”

“H.R. 45, the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1999, opens the door to the dangerous transportation of high-level nuclear waste and yet fails to address the concerns of the safety of millions of Americans. By mandating the construction of an interim storage facility in Nevada, H.R. 45 would require the shipment of the most toxic substance known to man to go through 43 States. Fifty million Americans within a half mile of the transportation routes could be exposed to the deadly hazards of 77,000 tons of nuclear waste moving through their neighborhoods for the next 30 years. H.R. 45 does nothing to address the weakness in the design of the waste caskets. It does nothing to fund the training of emergency personnel who would be required to respond to any accidents. H.R. 45 is the 'speak no evil, see no evil, hear no evil' effort by the nuclear power industry to pull the wool over the eyes of Americans. We must protect our constituents, their health and their safety and oppose H.R. 45.”