Shelley Berkley: “Today I rise in defense of the great State of Nevada. For almost 30 years, out-of-state Washington politicians have been…”

“Today I rise in defense of the great State of Nevada. For almost 30 years, out-of-state Washington politicians have been trying to dump the Nation's nuclear waste in my State's backyard at a place called Yucca Mountain. The site is 90 miles from the world's greatest tourism destination, Las Vegas, and in order to get the radioactive toxic nuclear waste to this location they have to truck it on Nevada roads, through Nevada neighborhoods, and by Nevada schools. A single accident would have devastating consequences to the health of the people of the State of Nevada, not to mention the economy. Mr. Speaker, this is the most dangerous substance known to man. But there are still those in Washington trying to force it on the people of my State. One of those people is Nuclear Regulatory Commissioner Kristine Svinicki. Thankfully, her term ends on June 30. I strongly oppose the renomination of someone who puts the interests of the nuclear industry ahead of the people of the State of Nevada. And I urge my Nevada colleagues in the Senate to do everything in their power to ensure this Yucca nuclear waste pusher does not have another term. ____________________”