Somehow, a staffer in Rep Welch’s office thought because nobody had spoken up about rad waste, it was okay to vote YES on Yucca Mountain and interim storage bills. Let him know he was wrong. While you’re busy writing to the Welch office, reach out Senators Patrick Leahy & Bernie Sander about pending legislation on Yucca Mountain and the storage of radioactive waste. Here’s Congressional delegation contact info.
See details below, with links to which legislation to oppose and legislation supported by our national allies.
From Kevin Kamps, Beyond Nuclear: U.S. Rep. Welch’s staffer, Alex Piper, told me, Dee, and Ian (they are cc’d), at a meeting we had with him a couple days ago in Washington, DC, that he had not heard from any Vermonters opposed to the Yucca dump, nor to the consolidated interim storage facilities targeting New Mexico and Texas. And that is why he advised his boss to vote for H.R. 3053, the Nuclear Waste Policy Amendments Act on May 10, 2018, and to vote for H.R. 2699, the Nuclear Waste Policy Amendments Act, by voice vote, late last year, at the U.S. House Energy & Commerce Committee. And also why he advised his boss to co-sponsor H.R. 3136, the STORE Act, which promotes consolidated interim storage. I told him he was mistaken about Vermonters supporting these environmentally racist policies. That it makes no sense for a Congressional Progressive Caucus member like Welch to not only vote for such bills, but to even co-sponsor them.
Thanks to all Vermonters who can reach out to Piper in Rep Welch’s office: <alex.piper@mail.house.gov>
PLEASE, ALSO CONTACT Senators Leahy and Sanders to oppose following Senate bills:
S 1234 Senate S.1234 Nuclear Waste Administration Act of 2019 https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senate-bill/1234 (sets up a new administrative entity with sole purpose to find dumps, legalizes CIS) S 1234 came out of the Blue Ribbon Commission on Americas Nuclear Future legalizes CIS, removes cap on a permanent repository (now 70,000 MTU for first repository), sets up a new agency or administrative entity with sole purpose to make nuclear waste sites (sponsored by Feinstein (D, CA), Murkowski (R,AK) and Alexander (R, TN)) and could be introduced in the House soon we fear.
S 2917 Nuclear Waste Policy Amendments Act of 2019 (same as HR 2699 currently in the House and HR 3053 from last year—restarts Yucca licensing and legalizes CIS and weakens some protections re high level waste/irradiated fuel)
and
Appropriations for CIS in the annual federal budget
Oppose House H.R.3136 Storage and Transportation Of Residual and Excess Nuclear Fuel Act of 2019
House H.R.2699 Nuclear Waste Policy Amendments Act of 2019 https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/2699
If you want to SUPPORT bills—those would be
House H.R.1544 Nuclear Waste Informed Consent Act https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/1544
Senate S.649 Nuclear Waste Informed Consent Act https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senate-bill/649?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%22nuclear%22%7D&s=1&r=1
Senate S.1985 STRANDED Act of 2019 https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senate-bill/1985?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22nuclear+energy%22%5D%7D&s=1&r=33
House H.R.5608 STRANDED Act of 2020 https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/5608
FYI NIRS has a spreadsheet of nuclear bills with links to sponsors, text, etc. with our position OPPOSE or SUPPORT listed at this long url:
