Extensions of Remarks

March 2, 1978 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS 5407 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS .NUCLEAR INDUSTRY STUDY CITES spent commercial reactor fuel be placed How far would the utility industry's DANGERS OF BREEDER FUEL under international safeguards. Hope "dramatically new system" go toward elimi fully, this will be one of the main nating the acknowledged risks? The system CYCLES unquestionably represents a.n advance over achievements of H.R. 8638. Time and conventional technologies. Plutonium con time again nuclear industry lobbyists centrations would be kept below 25 percent, HON. JONATHAN B. BINGHAM have rejected our concerns regarding un too low to make a weapon, and the fuel would OF NEW YORK safeguarded spent fuel as unrealistic or contain radioactive fission products "hot" tN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES unnecesary. Finally, it would seem, they enough to kill anyone trying to steal it un shielded. Moreover, the design of the plants Thursday, March 2, 1978 have come around and now share our concerns. involved would make it "physically impos • Mr. BINGHAM. Mr. Speaker, a recent Mr. Speaker, the text of the Times sible" to siphon off plutonium without under study conducted by the Nation's most taking a. major construction project. Still, editorial follows: Government experts in energy and arms con respected nuclear industry research (From the New York Times, March 2, 1978] trol consider the plan a. less-tha.n-dra.ma.tlc group, the Electric Power Research In HARD SELL ON NUCLEAR SAFETY advance that embodies ideas long under con stitute <EPRD , has made a significant American and British researchers this week sideration. They say it would still be possible contribution to this Nation's antiprolif unveiled a. "dramatically new system" that to extract plutonium from the new system. eration efforts by acknowledging the will supposedly prevent nuclear fuel from And they fear that if plants embodying the dangers of making a headlong rush into being used to make bombs. The system new system were spread around the world, a breeder reactor fuel cycle. As I noted was d~scribed as completely secure against they would increase the dangers of weapons in remarks which appear at page 5238 efforts by terrorists or governments to ex proliferation by spreading nuclear expertise. of yesterday's RECORD, the new industry tract weapons-grade plutonium from nuclear The ut111ty industry deserves credit for study endorses the conclusions of the fac111ties. It would thus permit, its advocates identifying the risks and proposing a. solu- claim, "worldwide expansions of nuclear - tion. That solution should n1>w be measured Carter administration that the United power" without spreading the means to make against other proposed nuclear systems States can afford to defer deployment of weapons. If the claims hold up, the develop and non-nuclear energy sources as well-to breeder reactors and reprocessing plants ment would be a. breakthrough in efforts to determine which are best in terms of eco until after the year 2000. curb the proliferation of nuclear weapons. nomics, conservation of resources, and non In this morning's New Yorl: Times, But the claims appear exaggerated-a hard proliferation. The proposal is not a. panacea sell on behalf of rapid development of the that justifies a. headlong rush toward a. sup there appeared an extremely cogent and posedly safer nuclear future.e timely lead editorial congratulating the next generation of nuclear reactors. There is irony in the new announcement, nuclear industry for this "long overdue made jointly by scientists from the Electric acknowledgment that Mr. Carter is on Power Research Institute, a.n arm of the the right track. It-the-ERPI study American ut111ty --industry, and Britain's TAX TREATMENT OF PRIVATE lends support to his efforts to kill off the Atomic Energy Authority, for it underscores FOUNDATIONS Clinch River breeder reactor project, as the dangers in the world's current nuclear well as facilities in this country and else course. In describing the need for the new where. system, the researchers give a. frank appraisal of defects in the old systems. They argue that HON. J. J. PICKLE It is also noteworthy that the industry current nuclear reactors are producing vast OF TEXAS study has endorsed the central logic of quantities of material that could be fabri IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES the comprehensive nuclear antiprolifer cated into bombs. ation legislation <H.R. 8638) which is This is a surprising admission. Even the Thursday, March 2, 1978 currently awaiting the President's sig Carter Administration, which is pushing hard • Mr. PICKLE. Mr. Speaker. I rise in nature. In the report accompanying this to curb proliferation, has not considered cur strong support of H.R. 112, the tax treat bill <House Report 95-587) , the Inter rent reactors a. weapons hazard. These reac ment of private foundations. This was tors run on uranium fuel that is not of national Relations Committee set as a weapons grade. But their used fuel rods con discussed and passed by voice vote in the goal for the U.S. nuclear export program tain plutonium that could be fashioned into Ways and Means Committee in order to the promotion of "nuclear technologies bombs. This plutonium has generally been change the 4-percent excise tax on the and activities for which <IAEA) safe considered- inaccesSibTe because of lethal ra net investment income of all private guards would provide timely warning of dioactivity. Now the British and American re foundations imposed by the Tax Reform diversion comparable to that which such searchers point out that the radioactivity Act of 1969. Experience has proved that safeguards have provided in the case of dies down over a. period of years, making ev because of the operation of the private low enriched fuel/light water reactor ery spent fuel-storage fa.cmty in the world foundations' charitable distributions pro fuel cycle without reprocessing." a. "plutonium mine" that becomes steadily visions, the excise tax reduces the mini more accessible. No more eloquent plea. could The documentation accompanying the be made for bringing spent fuel rods under mum amount that private foundations EPRI study endorses this basic rremise: better international control. are required to spend or grant, and that, One of the three "general criteria" es This week's announcement also casts doubt in fact, it has reduced charitable ex tablished for proliferation resistance of on current -efforts -to develop the next gen penditures. Since part of the purpose of alternative fuel cycles is the require eration of nuclear reactors-the "breeder re the tax was to produce the amount -of ment that "the overall risk of diversion actors" that would operate on plutonium revenue needed to finance IRS operations by national, sub-national, or terrorist and the "reprocessing plants" that would with respect to tax-exempt organizations groups must not be higher than that for create it. President Carter has tried to slow and this tax has in fact produced more the rush toward breeders and reprocessing than twice the amount of revenue needed spent fuel from conventional light water because plutonium can be readily made into reactors." weapons. The nuclear industry initially pooh to finance this, it should be reduced. In its discussion of the EPRI study, poohed his fears. But now the Electric Power I have in my district the University of the Times editorial says of the industry Research Institute has acknowledged that Texas, St. Edward's University, South group's conclusions: these technologies are "directly applicable west Texas State University, Southwest No more eloquent plea. could be made for to weapons production" and would permit ern University, Huston-Tillotson, and bringing spent fuel rods under international diversion of enough material "to produce sev many other educational institutions control. eral nuclear weapons in a. short time . many of whom benefit from private as short as a. few weeks." That is long over foundations. The Hogg Foundation for Again, at the risk of being repetitious, due acknowledgement that Mr. Carter is on the right track. It lends support to his ef Mental Health at the University of Texas I wish to commend industry planners for forts, this far unsuccessful, to kill off the is one example. It has been a leader endorsing another basic premise of our Clinch River breeder reactor project, as well throughout the Nation in support of in antiproliferation legislation; we have a.s to delay development of reprocessing facil novative measures to promote mental worked for years to guarantee that all ities in this country and elsewhere. health. The reduction in the excise tax Statements or insertions which are not spoken by the Member on the floor will be identified by the use of a "bullet" symbol, i.e., e 5408 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS March 2, 1978 will mean that all of these foundations COMMEMORATION OF POLISH was severely wounded during a charge will have more money to devote to the AMERICAN PATRIOTS and later died aboard the Brigantine purj;ose for which they were created. Wasp. He was buried at sea but funeral This bill was reported along with a services were held in Charleston and the number of other technical and minor HON. JOHN G. FARY people of Savannah eternalized his mem bills by the Ways and Means Committee OF U.LINOIS ory by erecting a monument in his honor. on October 13, 1977. There are other bills IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Another great Polish hero who came to that were reported that same day that I the aid of this country in her time of hope will soon come forward to the Thursday, March 2, 1978 need, was Gen. Thaddeus Kosciusko. :floor.• • Mr. FARY. Mr. Speaker, on this day of On February 21, 1798, Thomas Jeffer national thanksgiving to those Polish son wrote of him to General Gates: Americans who helped make this great He is a.s pure a son of Liberty as I have WIC PROGRAM EXPANSION URGED country what it is today, I would like to ever known, and of that Liberty which is to bring to the attention of my distin go to all and not to the few or rich alone.

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