WASHINGTON – In anticipation of the conference committee which will work out differences among the respective versions of the House and Senate-passed Energy and Water Appropriations bills, United States Senator Mark Kirk (R-IL) today sent a letter to the Chairmen and Ranking Members of the Senate and House subcommittees urging them to support the bipartisan, House-passed language which funds the storage of nuclear waste inside Nevada’s Yucca Mountain. A continuation of the Yucca Mountain project would be an important step in finding a safe, permanent storage facility for our country’s nuclear waste and critically important for the State of Illinois.
Illinois has 11 nuclear power plants, more than any other state in the nation. Currently, the spent fuel is stored in dry casks and pools near urban areas and sources of drinking water. At the Zion Nuclear Station, 1,100 tons of waste is stored just yards away from Lake Michigan, the source of drinking water to millions of people. Contamination of Lake Michigan would be devastating to the Great Lakes region.
The situation is similar across the country, with over 65,000 metric tons of nuclear waste stored in 75 temporary locations that threaten cities, suburbs and critical ecosystems essential to the drinking water for millions of Americans. American taxpayers have already invested nearly $15 billion on Yucca Mountain. This letter supports years of science, bipartisan support and billions of dollars to protect American’s water, health and national security.
The text of Sen. Kirk’s letter is below. Continue reading →
