[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 95 (Friday, June 8, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E816]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 
                                  2019

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                            HON. JACKY ROSEN

                               of nevada

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, June 7, 2018

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the state of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 5985) making 
     appropriations for energy and water development and related 
     agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2019, and 
     for other purposes:

  Ms. ROSEN. Mr. Chair, I rise in support of our amendment, which 
strikes a provision in this bill that would prohibit the future closure 
of the Yucca Mountain project.
  This extreme language severely undercuts any opportunity to pursue 
viable alternatives for Yucca Mountain, including job-creating 
alternatives that OMB would be required to study under my bill, the 
Jobs, Not Waste Act.
  Even worse, this language we're seeking to strike would essentially 
prevent another community that consents to storing nuclear waste from 
being considered as the nation's nuclear repository--effectively 
closing the door to safer, more viable sites and forcing Nevada to 
become the sole dumping ground for nuclear waste we never even 
generated.
  Based on DOE's own studies, Yucca Mountain is unfit as a repository 
site for nuclear waste because of the impact it would have on national 
transportation.
  This bill throws evidence-based policy making out the window in a 
narrow-minded effort to force Nevada into being a nuclear waste dump.
  Instead of spending billions more in hard-earned taxpayer money on 
this project that's destined to fail and that will inevitably put 
families across the country at risk, let's leave the door open to 
forward-thinking alternatives for Yucca Mountain.

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