William Bryan: “I want to put those comments and those ads in some perspective so that no one should be misled by the assertions of the…”

“I want to put those comments and those ads in some perspective so that no one should be misled by the assertions of the nuclear utility industry. The genesis of our current policy with respect to disposal of high-level waste traces its origins to the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982. It is true that in that piece of legislation it was contemplated the Department of Energy would be in a position to accept high-level nuclear waste, that a period of characterization and study would ultimately send three sites to the President of the United States and the President would select one of those sites. I think it is important to mention at the outset that even in 1982 a number of Department of Energy experts were uncomfortable, indeed, some were skeptical, that the 1998 deadline could be met, but they were overruled by politicians and the Department of Energy and others. My colleagues know from my previous statements in the Chamber that this process, whatever its original intent may have been, was politicized immediately.”