Joe Barton: “Reclaiming my time, I want to thank the subcommittee chairman, Mr. Simpson, for his courtesy and his staff's courtesy…”

“Reclaiming my time, I want to thank the subcommittee chairman, Mr. Simpson, for his courtesy and his staff's courtesy, the ranking member, Ms. Kaptur, the full committee, Mr. Rogers and his staff. I will submit a letter for the Record from the Governor of Texas dated July 3 in support of my amendment. The State of Texas, Office of the Governor, July 3, 2014. Dear Texas Congressional Delegation: After President Obama abandoned any further development of Yucca Mountain and Congress ceased all funding in 2011, the country must look for new solutions to the long-term issue of safe and secure handling of high level radioactive waste (HLW) Early in 2013 the U.S. Department of Energy announced that it was looking into alternative, permanent disposal solutions to replace the proposed storage facility at Yucca Mountain. By its own estimations, a permanent HLW disposal solution will not be available until 2048. An amendment proposed by Congressman Joe Barton authorizes the Secretary of Energy to conduct a pilot program that would provide interim storage of spent nuclear fuel and HLW, with the priority for storage given to spent nuclear fuel located on sites without an operating nuclear reactor. This option could demonstrate how this waste can be transported and stored in a secure and viable manner, providing a step toward a long-term solution to this ongoing issue. With or without a long-term solution for disposing of HLW, implementation of interim facilities is needed.…”