Sam Gibbons: “this Wednesday, scientists will present a research paper on Alloy 22, the material the Department of Energy has proposed…”

“this Wednesday, scientists will present a research paper on Alloy 22, the material the Department of Energy has proposed to be used for the disposal canister for spent nuclear fuel and high-level waste at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. The DOE has based the safety of storing high-level waste at Yucca Mountain almost solely on the performance of these waste canisters, since the existing conditions at Yucca Mountain are so poor. However, this latest research shows that the safety of the canister itself proves to be just as poor. In fact, scientists induced significant corrosion on the Alloy 22 within only 15 days, raising serious questions whether the material would survive even the first 1,000 years in Yucca Mountain, let alone the 10,000 years needed for safe storage. It seems that yet again that science is proving that storing high-level nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain would be a disastrous and deadly decision. I yield back this administration's nuclear storage plan, which is obviously based on trying to put a square peg in a round hole.”