STORAGE OF NUCLEAR WASTE:

Voting 340 for and 72 against, the House on May 10 passed a bill (HR 3053) that would revive a long-dormant federal plan to permanently store in an underground repository at Nevada’s Yucca Mountain the tens of thousands of metric tons of radioactive waste from active and retired nuclear power plants in 39 states and federal weapons sites in at least six states. Authorized in 1987, the partially built, exhaustively studied facility 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas has not received final approvals from Congress or agencies including the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and Department of Energy (DOE).

The bill would expedite congressional and regulatory steps necessary for the facility to start receiving shipments for burial in its subterranean tunnels and caverns. The measure would also direct the DOE to establish at least one interim facility, at a location or locations to be determined, that would receive nuclear waste for temporary storage until the permanent repository opens. Truck and rail shipments of radioactive material from nearly 130 locations would pass through more than 300 congressional districts to reach the interim and permanent storage facilities.

Paul Tonko, D-N.Y., said, “I know we will hear about the challenges of transporting spent fuel to a final repository, but the reality is nuclear material is already moved around our country today without incident due to strict safety requirements. The only alternative to not moving this waste is keeping it spread out in 121 locations for tens of thousands of years.”

Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., said, “We are talking about shipping up to three loads of radioactive waste per week to Nevada by rail or truck for over 50 years. Dangerous waste would go through 329 congressional districts across this country. To the members representing these districts … are you prepared to face your constituents at home and tell them that you voted to put their safety at risk?”

A yes vote was to send the bill to the Senate.

ARKANSAS

Voting yes: Bruce Westerman, R-4

TEXAS

Voting yes: Louie Gohmert, R-1, John Ratcliffe, R-4