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WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the House Energy and Commerce Committee approved a bipartisan amendment introduced by Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (D-MI) and Congressman Fred Upton (R-MI) expressing the sense of Congress that the governments of the United States and Canada should not allow permanent or long-term storage of spent nuclear fuel or other radioactive waste near the Great Lakes.

Currently, Canada is exploring the creation of an underground nuclear waste repository near the shores of Lake Huron. The Great Lakes span 4,530 miles of coast and account for 21 percent of the world's freshwater. More than 30 million people rely on the Great Lakes for drinking water, amounting to ten percent of the US population.

Video of the debate at today’s Committee markup is available here.

“Nuclear waste and water should never mix,” said Dingell. “The United States should not allow permanent or long-term storage of nuclear waste or radioactive waste near our water sources. This is a health issue, environmental issue, and national security issue. There is no easy solution to nuclear waste, but putting it near water is not the solution.”

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