David Cay Johnston: “What is the difference in liability between having the duty to dispose of and in taking title?”

Then how in the world can the Senator say they are transferring the duty of disposing of nuclear waste from the Federal Government or the taxpayers and giving that to the utilities?

I have not said the fund is sufficient. DOE has said the fund is sufficient. And many nuclear utilities do not believe it is sufficient. But the sufficiency of the fund has nothing to do with the damages to which a utility would be…

No, the Senator is wrong. First of all, damages would not be paid from the nuclear waste fund. Damages would have to be paid from the judgment fund, provided elsewhere.

I very much appreciate the very warm and generous remarks of my colleague from New Mexico. While he is new in the chairmanship on this committee, he is not new to the committee. We have worked side by side for all of these 22 years…