|
Comment on this article |
Email this Article
|
|
News :: Miscellaneous |
|
Congress Denies Fair and Open Debate, Rams Through Price-Anderson Act |
Current rating: 0 |
by NIRS
(No verified email address) |
28 Nov 2001
|
|
Taxpayers at Risk While Nuclear Reactor Industry Benefits |
(Washington, DC)
With virtually no debate, the U.S. House of Representatives yesterday passed major energy legislation crucial to the future of nuclear power. Under suspension of the rules--a legislative tactic normally used only in non-controversial situations such as naming a federal courthouse-- the House passed H.R. 2983, the Price-Anderson Reauthorization Act of 2001. Avoiding personal accountability, the House passed the Act by voice vote by which the "yeas" and "nays" are not individually recorded. As a result, no amendments were allowed and debate was limited to 20 minutes per side.
"This is a triumph of corporate-driven politics over fair play and the democratic process," charged Christopher Sherry, research director for the Safe Energy Communication Council, the Washington, D.C.-based energy policy watchdog coalition. "Make no mistake, this vote rubber-stamped industry plans to build more nuclear plants despite wide spread public opposition to more reactors and subsidies for this moribund industry. If these reactor concepts are as safe as the industry claims, it shouldn't have trouble insuring them. Taxpayers should not bear any potential liability in the newly deregulated electricity marketplace for the industry's profit-based construction decisions," he stated.
The Price-Anderson Act limits the nuclear power industry's liability in the case of an accident. No other industry enjoys this unprecedented federal protection from liability. Price-Anderson caps the commercial nuclear power industry's liability at $9.1 billion and requires that reactor operators carry only $200 million in primary private insurance for each reactor. Price-Anderson is set to expire on Aug 1, 2002, although reactors licensed to operate before this date (including reactors that subsequently apply for relicensing) will continue to be covered under the provisions of the existing law.
The recent terrorist attacks illuminate the flaws of the Price-Anderson limited liability regime and underscore the inherent uncertainty surrounding the safety and security of nuclear power plants and the potential unacceptable costs of nuclear accidents. Price-Anderson would only provide pennies-on the-dollar in public compensation for damages stemming from a potential nuclear reactor accident, which Sandia National Laboratory Estimates could exceed $500 billion dollars.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has recognized that the containment structures housing nuclear reactors are not designed to withstand an attack of the scale witnessed at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Control rooms, spent nuclear fuel pools and dry cask spent fuel storage areas at U.S. reactors, which contain more radioactivity than the reactor core itself, are located outside of the containment structure, presenting an even more vulnerable target. Despite these threats, H.R. 2983 contains specific provisions intended to facilitate the construction of the Pebble Bed Modular Reactor (PBMR), a design that features no protective containment structure.
For more information on the Price-Anderson Act and nuclear power and the terrorist threat, go to www.safeenergy.org or contact SECC at (202) 483-8491.
The above press release was forwarded by NIRS, which also had this to say:
The House yesterday voted (by voice vote, apparently with about 15 members present) to reauthorize the Price-Anderson Act, the nuclear industry's insurance subsidy. Below is a press release from Safe Energy Communication Council on the vote. Please feel free to forward to your local media.
We understand that Price-Anderson reauthorization is likely to be attached to the Senate Democrats' energy bill, which could be released this Friday. There are, however, likely to be changes from the House-passed version. Senate Republicans have attached Price-Anderson to an energy bill of their own, and they continue to press for an early vote on it--they may try to attach it as an amendment to the Farm bill which is coming up anyday. Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle has said clearly he doesn't want a vote on the energy bill until early next year, but it's not 100% clear he can stop the Republican amendment approach.
So, it's time to turn our attention to the Senate. Contact your Senators (202-224-3121) and urge them to OPPOSE Price-Anderson reauthorization and to OPPOSE any effort to attach energy legislation (which also includes oil drilling in ANWR) on any unrelated bill. You should also ask your Democratic Senators to OPPOSE including any form of Price-Anderson reauthorization in the Democrats' energy bill. |
