Cornyn: Delay in MPF Decision Unacceptable

CORNYN: DELAY IN MPF DECISION UNACCEPTABLE

We must not put off construction of this crucial component of our strategic national security, Cornyn says

WASHINGTON - U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, made the following statement Wednesday regarding the decision by the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) to delay the final environmental impact statement (EIS) and site selection for the Modern Pit Facility (MPF):

"I'm extremely disappointed in the decision to delay this critical facility. I understand the position of the NNSA and their need to address concerns raised by a few of my colleagues. However, I disagree with those who say we must continue to put off the construction of this crucial component of our strategic national security. And I will raise this issue with Sec. Abraham when he appears before the Senate Armed Services Committee in coming weeks.

"What critics forget is that the United States is the only nuclear power without a full production capability to produce nuclear pits. That is unacceptable. Without such a capability, we are potentially putting the long-term viability of our nuclear arsenal in jeopardy. This is a risk we cannot, and must not take.

"I strongly believe the U.S. Department of Energy should designate Pantex as the new home for the Modern Pit Facility, and I think it should be done sooner, rather than later. Our national security, the economic future of the region and the safety of our nuclear weapons program demand no less."

Long a supporter of bringing the MPF to Pantex, one of Cornyn's first actions in the Senate was to host the administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Linton F. Brooks in the Senator's Washington office in an effort to highlight the benefits of locating the MPF in Texas.

At a hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee in March, Cornyn urged Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham to speed up the process for selecting and creating the Modern Pit Facility (MPF). "I'm eager to work with you to ensure that our weapons facilities receive the proper funding and resources to carry out their important missions," Cornyn said at the hearing. "And I'm especially glad to see that we are moving forward with the Modern Pit Facility."