Responsible Disposal Reauthorization Act of 2018

Floor Speech

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Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2278, the Responsible Disposal Reauthorization Act of 2018. H.R. 2278 is bipartisan legislation to address the safe disposal of uranium mill tailings, a sandy byproduct of the uranium milling process.

In Grand Junction, Colorado, uranium mill tailings were offered to the community as fill material before the health risks of the radioactive material were fully understood. The tailings were subsequently used in the construction of local homes, roads, sidewalks, parks, and schools.

The Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act provided for the cleanup of those tailings in 1978 and created 19 disposal cells for the radioactive waste. The last of the cells available to accept this material for disposal, the Cheney cell in Grand Junction, Colorado, is set to close in September 2023. This bill extends the cell's closure date to September 2030 or until the cell is filled, whichever day comes first.

Mr. Speaker, Congress has already extended the closure date of the disposal cell several times.

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Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I urge my colleagues to support the legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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