July 18, 2007

Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Harry Reid of Nevada released the following statement as news continues to develop about the leakage of radioactive water into the Sea of Japan and the release of radioactive material from about 100 drums from the Kashiwazaki Kariwa nuclear power plant, in Japan, as a result of the 6.8 magnitude earthquake on Monday.

"My heart goes out to the families affected by the recent earthquake that struck Japan. Japan’s earthquake is yet another reason the State of Nevada cannot give up the fight against Yucca Mountain. The Yucca Mountain site is located on and adjacent to 33 faults, and is seismically active today. An incident like the one at the Japanese reactor would be a nightmare scenario at Yucca where several thousand times the amount of nuclear materials in Japan could be exposed. Instead of being released into the ocean, however, the radioactive material would be released into Nevada’s ground water.

"Under the current proposal, Yucca Mountain would contain all the nuclear waste generated from more than 100 nuclear reactors. A similar accident at Yucca Mountain would jeopardize the health and safety two million people living in Southern Nevada.

"As I’ve said from the beginning, I will do everything I can to ensure the nuclear waste dump at Yucca Mountain is never built."