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Senator Clinton Fails To Ask ‘Hard Questions’ About Yucca Mountain

WASHINGTON, DC – Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.), Ranking Member of the Senate Environment & Public Works Committee, today blasted Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) for accusing the Senate Republicans this week of failing to ask the ‘hard questions’ about Yucca Mountain. Clinton failed to attend the last two EPW hearings on the issue. Senator Clinton was quoted asserting that the EPA (Environment Protection Agency) and DOE (Department of Energy) have been unaccountable to Congress because they have “not had to answer questions up until now because the Republican Congress has not been willing to ask the hard questions,” according to a July 22, 2007 article by the Associated Press.

“When Senator Clinton had the opportunity to ask ‘hard questions’ of Administration officials about Yucca Mountain, she was missing in action. In fact, Senator Clinton failed to ask ANY questions because she was absent from the last two EPW hearings on Yucca Mountain,” Senator Inhofe said.

“The ‘hard questions’ now need to be asked of Senator Clinton: Why didn’t she attend either hearing? What is her plan for nuclear waste disposal? If it’s not going to Yucca Mountain, where will it go? If we’re not building Yucca Mountain, do the electricity consumers get their $28 billion refunded?” Inhofe asked.

Background:

Under Senator Inhofe’s leadership, the EPW committee conducted two hearings on Yucca Mountain in 2006. Senator Clinton failed to attend either hearing. There was a full committee hearing on March 1, 2006 chaired by Senator Inhofe and an EPW subcommittee hearing  on September 14, chaired by Senator George Voinovich (R-OH).

For more information:

EPW White Paper: Yucca Mountain: The Most Studied Real Estate on the Planet (March 2006)

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