BERKLEY BIDS GOODBYE TO “YUCCA MOUNTAIN JOHNNY”

Praises President for Pulling Plug on Failed Nevada Nuke Waste Dump in House Floor Speech

(February 4, 2010 -- Las Vegas)  displaying a poster of banished pro-dump cartoon mascot “Yucca Mountain Johnny”, Congresswoman Shelley Berkley today praised President Obama from the House floor for delivering on his commitment to end efforts to open a nuclear waste repository in Nevada.  Text of Berkley’s speech appears below and video can be viewed at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTunpUlExvg.

“On behalf of ‘Yucca Mountain Johnny’ and the people of the State of Nevada, I want to thank the President for putting the kibosh on the Yucca Mountain Project which would have shipped 77,000 tons of toxic, radioactive waste across 43 states to be buried in a hole in the Nevada desert where we have groundwater problems, seismic activity, volcanic activity, no radiation standards, no way to safely transport the waste and no canister that currently exists that could store the waste without corroding.

“The president came to Nevada 20 times during the campaign and pledged to stop Yucca Mountain.  The people of the State of Nevada are grateful that he ended this expensive, dangerous, foolish project.  On behalf of ‘Yucca Mountain Johnny’ and myself, we thank you, Mr. President.  Way to go.”