Sam Gibbons: “today I rise dismayed and appalled by the illegal sweetheart deals being made by the Department of Energy and the…”

“today I rise dismayed and appalled by the illegal sweetheart deals being made by the Department of Energy and the nuclear power industry. These backroom agreements between the Clinton-Gore administration and the nuclear industry ignore the public safety and health of millions of Americans, and run completely contrary to the laws passed by Congress. This Congress has always maintained that any nuclear waste repository project must be based on sound science and safety. However, documents recently released by the DOE show that the Department is not concerned at all with safety or science. Their prime concern is "selling" Nevada's Yucca Mountain project as a permanent nuclear waste dump, even though the final suitability studies have not been completed. The DOE has chosen to risk the health and safety of millions of Americans and expose them to a devastating environmental disaster because it is an expedient answer to a problem faced by the nuclear industry. Once again, Mr. Speaker, this administration has misled Congress, ignored the law, and jeopardized the safety of America.”