WASHINGTON, D.C., March
22, 2000—The U.S. House of
Representatives today voted 253-167 in favor of the Nuclear
Waste Policy Amendments Act of 2000 (S.1287). The following is
a statement by John Kane, vice president of the Nuclear Energy
Institute, in response to the House vote.
"The nuclear
energy industry is greatly pleased that the House of
Representatives has voted in favor of this important
environmental legislation. Speaker Dennis Hastert and all the
members who voted in favor of the Nuclear Waste Policy
Amendments Act have provided genuine leadership to make
much-needed improvements to the federal government’s nuclear
waste disposal program. We also thank Senate Energy Committee
Chairman Frank Murkowski and Majority Leader Trent Lott for
their leadership. It’s noteworthy that many representatives,
although they did not support this particular bill, still
expressed a strong commitment to have the government fulfill
its obligation to safely isolate used nuclear fuel and
high-level radioactive waste from U.S. defense programs.
"With Senate
passage of this legislation last month, the industry now looks
to President Clinton to sign this bill into law and provide
the environmental stewardship that the federal government is
obligated to provide to the American people. This legislation
meets all of the administration’s stated objectives and merits
enactment into law. Since 1983, consumers of electricity
generated at nuclear power plants have committed to the
government some $16 billion for environmental protection that
they have yet to receive. The Nuclear Waste Policy Amendments
Act offers the President a historic opportunity to steer our
nation onto the path of safe geologic disposal of used nuclear
fuel and high-level radioactive waste.
"By providing
for the efficient management and safe isolation of used
nuclear fuel, S.1287 helps to make it possible for Americans
to derive maximum benefits from nuclear power-our nation’s
largest source of emission-free electricity. The past year’s
spike in oil prices, unfortunate as it is, serves as a
reminder that nuclear energy plays a key role in our nation’s
electricity mix, and that it is crucial to achievement of our
ambitious economic and environmental goals."
