Marcy Kaptur: “As a representative of industrial America, I am urging my colleagues today to vote both to strengthen the U.S. steel…”

“As a representative of industrial America, I am urging my colleagues today to vote both to strengthen the U.S. steel industry and to put on hold plans to ship spent nuclear material to Yucca Mountain. In an era where our rail beds as well as human error yield major train derailments and accidents each year, why authorize Yucca Mountain? Why not improve our rail beds, improve our steel industry and make this country an industrial leader in terms of rail transportation? In an age of terrorism, why have nuclear material moving all over this country? And, finally, in my own district, a recent nuclear mishap occurred in which boric acid ate through 80 pounds of carbon steel in the central container inside the core, I really ask the question--Why do we have such poor engineering and poor inspection in the nuclear industry? Why do we have a plant reactor that cannot be repaired in this country? Why even if we were able to repair it, do we have to send the core to Japan to cast a new head and then to France for finishing? Why is the nuclear industry exempt with no one responsible under the Price Anderson Act, for liability in the event an accident occurs? Please, I urge my colleagues today to vote to strengthen the U.S. steel industry and vote for nuclear safety. Vote to uphold the steel decision on limiting imports and to table the Yucca Mountain nuclear storage proposal.”