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President Hill Applauds Geraldine Ferraro's Call to Open Yucca Mountain

November 21, 2001

I welcome and support Geraldine Ferraros decision to help lead the charge to open the Yucca Mountain Nuclear Repository. During her long and illustrious service to our nation, as a Member of Congress and as a Democratic candidate for Vice President, shes fought for the public good.

One of the most vexing issues facing our nation has been the opening of Yucca Mountain. I am pleased that Geraldine will focus her considerable talents on this issue. Her leadership is especially important now. More than ever before, the consequences of gridlock and indecision on Yucca Mountain are vividly clear:

• On-site nuclear waste is piling up in interim facilities scattered across our nation.
  

• The Federal governments legally binding commitment to take title of nuclear waste is long, long past due.
  

• Ratepayers have already invested many billions for studies to determine if Yucca Mountain is geologically and environmentally secure.
  

• The absence of political will to resolve the nuclear fuel storage issue has forestalled Americas development and the fullest utilization of this cleanest of all baseload sources for electricity.

Geraldine Ferraro can get things done. She has a reputation as a progressive innovator. I believe she can make an enormous contribution to help break the gridlock in Washington. Fully 20% of Americas electricity comes from homegrown, emissions-free nuclear power. Geraldine Ferraro understands this, and she also understands Yucca Mountain represents Americas best chance for solving our nuclear waste crisis.