Bryan takes to Senate floor to battle nuke waste proposal

Benjamin Grove

Wednesday, Sept. 29, 1999 | 11:38 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- Sen. Richard Bryan on Tuesday fired a preemptive strike against lawmakers in Congress who are pushing the latest version of a bill concerning nuclear waste storage in Nevada.

"The nuclear waste bill reported by the Energy Committee is an environmental travesty, which stands no chance of being enacted," Bryan, D-Nev., said at the conclusion of an 18-minute speech on the Senate floor. "I hope the majority leader will come to the conclusion that we should not waste any more of the Senate's time on this irresponsible piece of special interest legislation."

The bill is related to a proposal to bring the nation's commercial and defense nuclear waste to Yucca Mountain, 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas. Scientists are studying whether the site would be a safe place to store 77,000 tons of waste.

The bill in question sets up certain rules concerning storage.

Nevada's four members of Congress have united to repel bills that would bring waste to Nevada. They have a number of objections to the current nuclear waste bill. In particular, they object to a proposal that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, not the Environmental Protection Agency, set the radiation standard at Yucca Mountain.

The EPA's standard is 15 millirems of radiation at Yucca Mountain and 4 millirems for ground water that lies below the proposed waste repository inside the mountain. The NRC's standard is 25 millirems, with no separate standard for water. An X-ray produces about 5 millirems of radiation.

"Nevadans would be subjected to the equivalent of at least 6 additional, and unnecessary, chest X-rays each and every year," Bryan said. "I doubt that any member of the Senate would volunteer to subject his or her state, or family, to that type of risk."

Bryan said he made the floor speech because he expects that senators pushing for the bill will bring it to floor debate within the next few weeks. Congress is scheduled to adjourn for the year at the end of October.

"It's part of an education effort," Bryan said of the speech. "You know, it's not your father's Oldsmobile -- this is a new bill that attempts to jury-rig health and safety standards."

Nuclear industry representatives and senators who support the bill say 25 millirems is a safe standard.

Nevada's three other Congress members also are preparing for a fight. Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., on the House floor Tuesday and again today spoke out against the "wasteful and dangerous" nuclear waste bill. He has urged President Clinton to promise a veto of the bill.

"The American people deserve to hear your voice on this critical issue," Gibbons said Tuesday.