July'10 Nevada Government—U.S. Congresswoman Shelley Berkley Column

Berkley Delivers $8.8 Million For Nevada National Guard Facility

*** Adds Report Language to Military-Construction Spending Bill Calling for Update of Burial Benefits for America’s Veterans ***

July 28, 2010 – Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Shelley Berkley today secured House approval for nearly $8.8 million in federal funding for construction of a Nevada Army National Guard Civil Support Team Ready Building. The Nevada funding was included in the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act for 2011, which passed on a vote of 411 to 6.

“Nevada’s National Guard not only helps protect our nation, they also play a critical role in safeguarding communities across the Silver State in times of crisis,” said Berkley. “This funding will help to construct a new Ready Building for the Guard’s Civil Support Team. In the case of an incident involving a chemical or biological attack or the use of a dirty bomb to unleash radioactive contamination, the men and women who serve on the Civil Support Team would be among the first to react and to offer assistance. I salute all those who serve in America’s armed forces and I thank each of them for their dedication and commitment to keeping us safe,” said Berkley.

The Nevada National Guard Civil Support Team (CST) is designed to provide immediate response in the case of a chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear attack. The mission of the CST is to support civil authorities at an incident site by identifying chemical and biological agents and other substances, advising on appropriate response measures and assisting with requests for additional support.

Berkley was also successful in adding report language to the bill that outlines the need for an increase in burial benefits for America’s veterans.

“Veterans deserve to be laid to rest with full recognition of their military service and it’s time we increase the amount included in this benefit to help defray the cost to families who might otherwise be unable to cover this expense. Increasing these payments will provide veterans and their loved ones peace of mind when planning for their final arrangements,” said Berkley. “Over time, inflation has eroded the purchasing power of these benefit payments, leaving it to families and states to cover any extra costs. My hope is that by having this language included in this funding package it will help generate support for updating burial benefits so they keep pace with rising costs.”

Berkley’s Veterans Burial Benefits Improvement Act (H.R. 4045) increases payments to match the same percentage of burial costs that were covered in 1973 when the benefits were initiated. The Congresswoman has also authored legislation to update burial and marker benefit payments administered through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The bill, H.R. 4044, restores an allowance for the purchase of a gravestone or other funeral marker.

Overall, the bill includes a 7.4 percent increase over the previous year for veterans’ health care and benefits, including funding for more than 4,000 additional permanent claims processors. The legislative package also strengthens the VA workforce to tackle claims backlogs and to process new educational benefits provided through the new GI Bill enacted in the last Congress. Other changes in the bill include the ability for VA to process newly eligible claims for disabilities of Vietnam veterans and their survivors due to exposure to Agent Orange and new family caregiver benefits for disabled veterans.

Berkley Marks 75th Anniversary Of Social Security With Promise To Protect Program Today And For The Future

July 28, 2010 – Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Shelley Berkley today joined with her Democratic colleagues in marking the 75th anniversary of Social Security. The Congresswoman has pledged to Nevadans to protect the program which provides support for seniors, the disabled, widows and widowers and children who have lost a parent.

“Seniors, the disabled and millions of other Americans rely on Social Security and they overwhelmingly oppose any effort to privatize a system that has delivered peace of mind for generations.

“We have seen past plans to privatize Social Security that would drain trillions of dollars from this vital program and that will mean deep cuts for beneficiaries in Nevada and nationwide. That’s why I have opposed privatization before and why I will continue to oppose this risky scheme if it reappears once again -- and that’s a promise.

“Working together, we can protect Social Security so it remains strong for retirees in their golden years, for disabled Americans, for children who have lost a parent and for spouses who have lost a husband or wife.

“I am committed to stopping any plan that would privatize Social Security and that would leave this important safety net for Nevadans vulnerable to the manipulation of Wall Street and global financial markets.

Berkley Brings Together Top Federal Officials To Talk Housing

*** Hosts Second Meeting of New Democratic Task Force ***

July 27, 2010 – Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Shelley Berkley today brought together top federal officials to discuss how to increase the effectiveness and reach of programs to prevent foreclosures and assist homeowners in Nevada and nationwide. Berkley is co-chair of the House Democratic Task Force on Housing Stabilization.

“Nevada continues to lead the nation in foreclosures, so it’s vital for me to know how well the programs designed to help homeowners in Las Vegas and across the U.S. are working and what improvements need to be made,” said Berkley. “This meeting brought together top officials from Treasury, HUD, FDIC and the Federal Reserve to discuss help for Nevadans so they can afford to stay in their homes and ways to increase financing options for consumers. This includes new assistance beginning in October for unemployed Americans so they don’t lose a home after also losing a job.”

Chaired by Congresswoman Berkley (NV) and Congressman Dennis Cardoza (CA), the Housing Stabilization Task Force is undertaking a review of current housing programs and examining new paths for dealing with the housing crisis. Task force issues include: foreclosure mitigation, home valuation, lending programs and real estate market stabilization.

Berkley: Budget-Busting Cost, Danger Justify Dumping Yucca Mountain

Massive Security Threat, $100 Billion Price Tag, Scientific Failures all go Unanswered by Yucca Backers

July 27, 2010 – Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Shelley Berkley today again called on the backers of the failed Yucca Mountain nuclear waste dump to address the dangers of transporting nuclear waste, scientific flaws at the proposed dump site and the project’s need for massive federal spending at a time of limited resources. Berkley’s comments follow a hearing before the House Budget Committee on the proposed repository located 90 minutes outside Las Vegas.

“When are we going to hear answers from those out to turn Nevada into a nuclear waste dump about the dangers of shipping this radioactive across the U.S or the $100 billion it will cost to erect this gold-plated white elephant in the Nevada desert,” said Berkley. “Nuclear plant operators and regulators agree that waste can be safely stored at existing sites for the next 100 years while we find a real solution to the issue of how to safeguard this toxic nuclear garbage.”

Berkley has highlighted a list of issues (below), including scientific shortcomings and transportation dangers, that the backers of Yucca Mountain fail to discuss. The Congresswoman is also working to block efforts underway to revive Yucca Mountain through renewed massive spending.

“Those pushing for more wasteful spending on Yucca Mountain don’t want to see the gravy train end, even if it threatens 50 million Americans living along waste transportation routes. Like those who swore the BP oil disaster could never happen, Yucca Mountain’s boosters won’t talk about the number of lives that would be lost or the cost to clean up a massive nuclear waste spill. Ending the pursuit of Yucca Mountain will end the need for decades of nuclear garbage on America’s roads and rails and the threat from accidents or a terrorist strike,” said Berkley. “The question is not why did the President end Yucca Mountain, the question is why are backers of the dump too frightened to address its $100 billion cost, flawed science or the threat it poses to families and communities all across our nation.”

ISSUES YUCCA MOUNTAIN BACKERS STILL REFUSE TO DISCUSS

$100 Billion Budget Busting Price Tag: The Department of Energy has forecast Yucca Mountain’s total cost will reach $100 billion. A decade ago, DOE estimated it would cost only $28 billion. The fact remains that no one knows the true final price tag for what would be one of the most expensive projects ever undertaken by the federal government. While billions have already gone into failed efforts to open Yucca, the dump's current final price tag is nearly ten times MORE than what’s already been spent. Our nation cannot afford more reckless spending on a $100 billion bloated-budget project which is more than 20 years behind schedule and that threatens the safety of Americans.

Decades of Transportation Dangers: On a daily basis for decades, lethal high-level nuclear waste would be shipped through residential communities in more than 40 states and hundreds of Congressional Districts, close to schools, hospitals, neighborhoods and houses of worship. Each of these shipments represents the distinct possibility for a catastrophic accident or incident of terrorist sabotage. One incident involving deadly nuclear waste could unleash radioactive contamination the likes of which our nation has never faced before. The sheer number of fiery crashes on America’s highways and reoccurring accidents involving rail shipments demand we not ignore this very real threat to thousands of communities along waste transportation routes.

Yucca Dump is Geologically Unsafe: Yucca Mountain is on a fault line subject to major earthquakes. This scenario could easily result in the release of massive amounts of radioactivity. Only two years ago it was revealed that planners for the dump actually had to make substantial changes because the fault line was located even closer than previously thought. The release of this amount of radioactivity would threaten the water supplies and the environment of the population centers of the entire Southwest.

On-site Storage Offers True 100 Year Solution Today: On-site storage is available as a means to safeguard waste while a true solution is developed. Experts and regulators agree that by using hardened dry-cask storage containers, waste can be secured for the next 100 years. This avoids the transportation dangers and eliminates the need to spend $100 billion on Yucca Mountain, at a time when our nation is still recovering from an economic crisis.

Storage On-Site Safe for New Nuclear Plants, Safe at Existing Locations: Under the law, no new reactor waste can come to Nevada. New nuclear plants will be required to keep their high-level waste on-site for decades under current contracts. The nuclear industry and its allies support this method of securing waste at new nuclear plants and it can be used to safely do the same at existing facilities.

A False Solution: Even if Yucca Mountain were built, waste would still remain in communities for decades awaiting transport to Nevada. More importantly, as long as a nuclear plant is producing energy, nuclear waste will still remain at reactor sites in communities across the country. So unless a reactor is 100% shut down, radioactive waste will continue to build up at any nuclear plant. And no magic wand can be used to suddenly transport waste all at once to the proposed dump. It is critical to understand that even if Yucca is completed, the Department of Energy has stated waste shipments could take a half-century before cities and towns would see existing waste stockpiles removed.

Yucca Based on Flawed Science: The law requires that Yucca Mountain’s geology alone would protect Americans from the high-level nuclear waste to be stored there. But as scientists discovered that Yucca Mountain could not meet the standards set forth by Congress, nuclear waste project managers began unilaterally changing the rules in order to overcome flaws in the site. For example, once it had been determined that water would penetrate Yucca Mountain, plans were altered to include the use of robots to install high-tech umbrellas. A clear lack of technology also continues to plague plans for Yucca Mountain, including the fact that no canister exists that is capable of containing high-level radioactive waste given the rapid corrosion that studies have shown will occur once inside the dump. As casks corrode, radioactivity will be released, tainting essential water supplies.

Yucca Means Higher Energy Costs for Consumers: Families in nuclear states pay higher energy bills as a result of the monthly tax added to cover the cost of Yucca Mountain. Continued spending on Yucca Mountain will only raise energy costs for consumers as they are forced to cover the skyrocketing cost of the proposed dump.

Ending Yucca Won't Force Nuclear Waste on other States: Proponents of Yucca Mountain falsely claim that eliminating Yucca Mountain will force nuclear waste to be moved. Nothing in the law requires that South Carolina, Washington or other states be forced to take additional nuclear waste.

Nuclear Operators Say No Need: Nuclear plants are already utilizing dry-cask storage and operators say there has been no effect on power production as a result of waste remaining at nuclear plants.