Sam Gibbons: “H.R. 45 is the nuclear waste lottery. We bet our homes, our property, the safety of our family, and then if one of these…”

“H.R. 45 is the nuclear waste lottery. We bet our homes, our property, the safety of our family, and then if one of these nuclear carnivals passes by our property, bingo, we get big bucks. This is a lawyer's dream. Thousands of innocent people will get a large payment of taxpayer money because the transportation of this deadly radioactive waste will devalue and endanger their property. Mr. Speaker, let me explain. Recently the New Mexico State Supreme Court ruled that Mr. John Komis of Santa Fe will be awarded more than $884,000 in damages resulting from the devaluation of his property simply due to the transportation of nuclear waste past his property. If H.R. 45 were to pass, almost 80,000 tons of nuclear garbage will be shipped across our Nation's highways, destroying property values across this country like a string of dominos falling in its path, and who will pay for this devaluation of private property? The American taxpayer will foot the bill to support a radical, extremely costly policy mandated by H.R. 45. Mr. Speaker, this is a risk America cannot afford.”