Ben Cardin

I believe that collegiality has returned to the NRC under your leadership and I want to thank you for that.

Since I came to the Senate, I have worked closely with my colleagues to ensure that nuclear energy can continue to be a vital part of America's energy mix.

Thank you for the courtesy. I wanted to have the opportunity to reintroduce Dr. Macfarlane to our Committee.

I believe we need a nominee who would proceed cautiously on these proposals.

The Washington vision is a vision that says nuclear energy must take a back seat to other forms of energy, despite the industry's proven track record of reliability and affordability.

We need a nominee who will take a thoughtful approach to addressing these issues and we need a nominee that will recognize that the regulations beyond Tier 1 can be costly to the industry and yield in terms of actual safety benefits.

At some point the public rebels and all of a sudden does not support any longer which is otherwise such a positive step

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins, for your testimony. You are the person who can make a wastewater treatment plant sound very exciting.

We have a responsibility to find the most efficient ways to accomplish our objectives.

I would suggest that it is not really EPA's role to get into that level of detail.

Let me just mention one other concern that has been brought to my attention from the agricultural community, and the reason why they believe that Federal action may be necessary for an interstate nutrient trading program.

I know there is concern by the individual States that without some direct guidance from the Federal Government that is a challenge to try to organize an interstate trading program.

What is the role for the Federal Government in the strategy for a multi-jurisdictional body of water, such as Chesapeake Bay?

Our prayers and thoughts are with the people of Oklahoma.

This has been an extremely helpful panel in understanding the technical and the practical problems.

There is not enough in the District, you are going to need to have multiple jurisdictions that you have to deal with, which requires, I think, some degree of Federal role.

But those who believe that we are going to get that type of reduction in the future, we are not.

Thank you very much for your testimony. We appreciate it very much.

They want to make sure that this is not just a way of asking the agriculture sector to do more than their fair share in cleaning up Chesapeake Bay watershed.

I take it from your testimony that it is the Administration's position that nutrient trading is a tool that is available, that can be used under the Clean Water Act?

We need to deal with all of those issues.

If farmers do more than is required, then they could have credits that could be sold in a nutrient trading program.

We have been working on cleaning up the Chesapeake Bay in a formal way with cooperation among the various States, including the Federal Government, for now over 30 years.

Nutrient pollution is well documented, its harm on our waters and our environment.

The Federal Government does have a responsibility to give the predictability that you all are talking about.