Political Quotes

“If we change our course now, Madam President, there is no doubt in my mind that a permanent repository will never be built and all the effort and all the money will just go down the drain as misguided nuclear politics. The work done at Yucca Mountain is an essential part of the program that was promised to guarantee public health and safety at any site selected for a permanent repository. This guarantee was done in 1982 by Chairman Udall and others who were prominent in pushing this legislation through, the 1982 Nuclear Waste Policy Act. Without their assurance, the Congress would never have supported the policy amendment, would never have supported the underlying legislation and the policy amendment that designated Yucca Mountain in 1987 as the only site to be characterized. The arguments then were, 'We'll do such a grand job of scientific study and evaluation that there will be no question about Yucca Mountain suitability, reliability; we will never compromise on safety, not where the American public is concerned; we will do everything necessary to identify and resolve any concerns that Yucca Mountain might not be a suitable repository site; we guarantee Yucca Mountain will not become a storage site before all concerns have been satisfied.' Madam President, that was then, and this is now. Then was a time for promises that they hope everybody has forgotten.”