Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman, I want to thank Chairman Simpson and Ranking Member Kaptur for their work on this bill. Mr. Chairman, my amendment would prohibit the shipment of dangerous, highly radioactive liquid nuclear waste, which the Department of Energy plans to begin shipping by truck later this year in a series of over 100 shipments from Ontario, Canada, to South Carolina. The department wants to transport this liquid waste, which is far more radioactive than spent nuclear fuel, across the northern border at the Peace Bridge and through downtown Buffalo. In contrast to spent nuclear fuel in solid form, which has a history of being shipped by land, this would constitute the first ever shipment of liquid nuclear waste by truck in a transportation cask that was never certified for this purpose. Its liquid form, if spilled, could make containment nearly impossible. The route crosses the Great Lakes, across the busiest passenger crossing at the northern border, and through a high-density metropolitan area. In the event of an attack or an accident, the consequences could be devastating. In spite of these concerns, the Department of Energy failed to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act by not commencing with a new Environmental Impact Statement, instead, relying on old, outdated information. The evolving threat picture since 9/11 requires that the Department of Energy reassess the manner in which it ships such dangerous materials.…”