Thomas Daschle: “we should not be having this vote today. There are still far too many questions about the wisdom and safety of creating…”

“we should not be having this vote today. There are still far too many questions about the wisdom and safety of creating a national nuclear waste dump at Yucca Mountain for anyone to be able to cast an informed, responsible vote on this matter. But we are here. We are here because the Bush administration and some of its allies in Congress--and in the energy industry--are determined to exploit unique rules that were written 20 years ago and apply only to this bill. I can't help but think how ironic it is that less than a week after America celebrated the genius of our Founders, who intended this Senate to be the world's most deliberative body, we are being forced to vote on a matter of such grave importance before we can have an informed, honest debate. Even more troubling than the break this vote represents with our past, is the threat it poses to America's future. Let us be very clear: The claim that science supports building a national nuclear waste dump at Yucca Mountain is simply not true. The truth is, leading independent scientists have raised troubling questions about the scientific basis for the Department of Energy's recommendation regarding Yucca Mountain. A recent letter to Congress from the independent Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board contains a warning we should all pay great heed to. It warns that--quote--``the technical basis for DOE's repository design is weak to moderate at this time.'' Think about that.…”