II

103D CONGRESS

2D SESSION S. 1859

To terminate the Department of Energy’s program to promote the use of

liquid metal reactors for the disposal of high-level radioactive waste.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

FEBRUARY 22, 1994

Mr. KERRY (for himself, Mr. GREGG, and Mr. BUMPERS) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

A BILL

To terminate the Department of Energy’s program to promote the use of liquid metal reactors for the disposal

of high-level radioactive waste.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Breeder Reactor Ter5 mination Act of 1994’’.

6 SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL FINDINGS.

7 The Congress finds that—

8 (1) the advanced reactor program of the De9 partment of Energy promotes the use of liquid metal
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1 reactors for the disposal of high-level radioactive

2 waste through a process referred to as ‘‘actinide re3 cycle’’ and for other purposes;

4 (2) independent scientific experts believe that

5 liquid metal reactors would greatly increase the cost

6 of radioactive waste disposal and would not provide

7 significant environmental benefits;

8 (3) liquid metal reactors are not necessary to

9 preserve the nuclear power option, which will instead

10 depend upon the success of advanced light water

11 reactors;

12 (4) arms control experts believe that liquid

13 metal reactors raise grave nuclear proliferation con14 cerns because of the potential for production of plu15 tonium through breeding and reprocessing; and

16 (5) the need to reduce the Federal budget defi17 cit demands that budget priorities be established

18 carefully in order to eliminate unnecessary spending.

19 SEC. 3. TERMINATION OF ADVANCED LIQUID METAL REAC20 TOR PROGRAM.

21 (a) TERMINATION.—

22 (1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding the provi23 sions of sections 2121 through 2126 of the Energy

24 Policy Act of 1992 (106 Stat. 3081; 42 U.S.C.

25 13491 et seq.), the Secretary of Energy shall take
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1 such actions as are necessary to terminate, as soon

2 as possible, the advanced liquid metal reactor pro3 gram of the Department of Energy, including the

4 program’s promotion of the use of liquid metal reac5 tors for the disposal of high-level radioactive waste.

6 (2) REGULATORY SUPPORT.—Termination

7 under paragraph (1) shall include termination of De8 partment of Energy support for regulatory applica9 tions to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for de10 sign certification for advanced liquid metal reactors

11 or related licensed facilities.

12 (b) REASSIGNMENT OF PERSONNEL.—In carrying

13 out subsection (a), the Secretary of Energy shall, to the

14 extent practicable, reassign the personnel of the Depart15 ment who would be displaced by termination of the ad16 vanced liquid metal reactor program to other activities of

17 the Department, such as nuclear nonproliferation and

18 environmental cleanup at facilities of the Department of

19 Energy.

20 (c) USE OF SAVINGS TO REDUCE DEFICIT.—It is the

21 policy of the Congress that the savings realized from the

22 termination of the advanced liquid metal reactor program

23 should be used to reduce the Federal budget deficit.

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