Political Quotes

“I thank the gentleman for holding this Special Order hour to talk about a very critical policy and issue for our country. Mr. Speaker, nuclear energy is a critical component of the United States' energy matrix. It is no secret that I am passionate about energy independence and nuclear energy as an essential, emission-free, domestic source of electricity. As we create nuclear energy, we also create nuclear waste. In my district, the Oconee Nuclear Station run by Duke Energy in Oconee County, South Carolina, has 40 years' worth of nuclear waste sitting at the site. Without a permanent geological repository, nuclear waste will continue to pile up at reactors in South Carolina and all across the Nation. There is currently estimated to be about 4,500 tons of spent nuclear fuel in temporary storage in South Carolina from commercial reactors. Furthermore, there are more than 10,000 tons of military and research nuclear waste at the Savannah River site, just outside my district. Nuclear waste sits idle and is stored in dry casts and wet pools in 121 communities across 39 States. It is imperative that we pass Chairman Shimkus' legislation, the Nuclear Waste Policy Amendments Act, to reform our country's nuclear waste policy and utilize Yucca Mountain as our main point of nuclear storage. Having nuclear waste dispersed across the country and close to highly populated areas makes zero sense, and is an unnecessary and avoidable risk.…”