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Statement of Daniel K. Inouye
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Hearing: The Safety and Security of Spent Nuclear Fuel Transportation
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Wednesday, September 24, 2008
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Accomplishing the safe and secure transportation of nuclear waste is one of the more complex challenges facing our government. Spent nuclear fuel is the by-product not only of the nuclear power industry that supplies electrical energy to millions across the country, but also is created by our armed forces. This fuel retains its radioactive qualities for thousands of years, and is currently stored at 77 temporary and interim storage sites across the country.
We are not here today to discuss the merits of the Department of Energy’s selection of Yucca Mountain, Nevada, as the site for a permanent underground geological repository to store nuclear waste, or its current license application. Rather, we must ensure that all shipments of spent nuclear fuel and high-level waste are held to the highest safety and security standards.
Today, nuclear waste is transported by rail, truck, and barge, all of which are under the jurisdiction of this Committee. The risks of transporting nuclear waste must be fully understood and evaluated and a system of transportation must be designed to fully address those risks.
In this hearing, we will examine the current regulatory regime for nuclear waste transportation, and hear from researchers and a representative of the rail industry in order to more fully understand the challenges of transporting nuclear waste. It is this Committee’s obligation to evaluate these challenges and to ensure that spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste is transported in ways that minimize the safety and security risk to the general public.
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