Fixing Our Broken Nuclear Waste Management Program

Floor Speech

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Mr. CARBAJAL. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Shimkus for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, 2 years ago, Pacific Gas and Electric Company announced its decision not to relicense the two nuclear reactors at the Diablo Canyon Power Plant in San Luis Obispo County. The plant has been a key economic engine in my district, employing around 1,500 people and powering more than 1.7 million homes in central and northern California.

As our community works together to mitigate the economic impacts of this closure, I am committed to helping secure the central coast's dominance as a hub for renewable energy development. That is why I am introducing legislation later this month that creates renewable energy incentives to offset the loss of jobs and revenue resulting from the Diablo Canyon closure.

In addition to economic stability, our community also needs certainty of responsible management and safe storage of nuclear waste after the plant's closure. The Diablo Canyon Power Plant was built against a seaside cliff near Avila Beach, where it was discovered that its reactors are in proximity to earthquake fault lines. Without a long- term solution, Diablo Canyon would become a de facto storage facility for radioactive nuclear waste and would hinder our ability to repurpose any of the scenic coastline where the power plant currently sits.

Currently, spent nuclear fuel sits across 39 States in 121 communities, including San Luis Obispo County.

We need a permanent geologic repository to store waste that will last far beyond our lifetimes. Congress must establish responsible interim storage solutions, while continuing to work towards establishing a safe and secure national repository for spent fuel.

H.R. 3053 is a good bipartisan solution to establish a process and outline next steps for interim and permanent storage solutions. With the impending decommissioning of Diablo Canyon, it is vital that we act to find a storage solution. I will continue to work to grow business in our area, remove spent fuel safely, and keep our communities safe and thriving as the Diablo Canyon decommissioning moves forward.

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