Political Quotes

“in the far southeastern corner of Washington State, workers at the Hanford Reservation helped America win World War II and fight the cold war with the strength of our science and technological advancements. We did a good job there, but work remains--and that is the business of cleanup. For years the Department of Energy has managed Hanford, and all of its sophisticated problems, with varying degrees of competency. I have an amendment today, that has been cleared by the committee, which I hope changes the very nature of management at our site. A similar version of this amendment appears in the House version of the National Defense Authorization Act, thanks to the hard work of the Congressman from the Fourth District in Washington, Doc Hastings. His dedication to Hanford issues has been unparalleled; his knowledge and perseverance profound. I have worked closely with the Congressman, and am hopeful that when this bill goes to conference, our work will remain intact. Let me briefly describe for you the origins of this amendment, and what Doc and I are hoping to accomplish. For fiscal year 1996, Hanford enjoyed a budget that totaled near $1.7 billion. With that money, the Department of Energy oversees the cleanup of 77 million gallons of the worst stuff on Earth: highly contaminated sludge, salt cake, and effluence.”