I

103D CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 2365

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 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JUNE 9, 1993

Mr. COPPERSMITH (for himself, Mr. KLEIN, and Mr. HOKE) introduced the

following bill; which was referred jointly to the Committees on Science

and Technology, Natural Resources, and Energy and Commerce

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 1993’’.

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;

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 and

20 (6) termination of the advanced liquid metal re21 actor program of the Department of Energy was

22 proposed by the President in February 1993 in his

23 report entitled A Vision of Change for America.
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1 SEC. 3. TERMINATION OF ADVANCED LIQUID METAL REAC2 TOR PROGRAM.

3 (a) TERMINATION.—

4 (1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding the provi5 sions of sections 2121 through 2126 of the Energy

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

7 13491 et seq.), the Secretary of Energy shall take

8 such actions as are necessary to terminate, as soon

9 as possible, the advanced liquid metal reactor pro10 gram of the Department of Energy, including the

11 program’s promotion of the use of liquid metal reac12 tors for the disposal of high-level radioactive waste.

13 (2) REGULATORY SUPPORT.—Termination

14 under paragraph (1) shall include termination of De15 partment of Energy support for regulatory applica16 tions to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for de17 sign certification for advanced liquid metal reactors

18 or related licensed facilities.

19 (b) REASSIGNMENT OF PERSONNEL.—In carrying

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

21 extent practicable, reassign the personnel of the Depart22 ment who would be displaced by termination of the ad23 vanced liquid metal reactor program to other activities of

24 the Department, such as nuclear nonproliferation and

25 environmental cleanup at facilities of the Department of

26 Energy.
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1 (c) USE OF SAVINGS TO REDUCE DEFICIT.—It is the

2 policy of the Congress that the savings realized from the

3 termination of the advanced liquid metal reactor program

4 should be used to reduce the Federal budget deficit.

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