Former US Senator Domenici to Speak at Carlsbad Nuclear Summit

    CARLSBAD, NM, September 19, 2013 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Former United States Senator Pete Domenici and former Carlsbad Mayor Bob Forrest, two highly outspoken advocates of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) and the nuclear industry, have both agreed to speak at the Carlsbad Department of Development's second annual National Nuclear Fuel Cycle Summit, scheduled for Oct. 14-17, in Carlsbad, N.M.

Domenici and Forrest, longtime friends, have delivered some of the most passionate and memorable presentations in support of WIPP throughout the underground repository's history. The last time the two men both spoke together was during the Blue Ribbon Commission on America's Nuclear Future (BRC) hearing in Carlsbad in January of 2011. Together, they led the political charge to open WIPP throughout the 1980s and 1990s.

"The one-two punch of Pete Domenici and Bob Forrest was, beyond a doubt, one of the driving forces that led to the successful opening of WIPP," said former state representative John Heaton, chair of the Carlsbad Mayor's Nuclear Task Force. "Bob and Pete are candid and outspoken. They say what we need to hear, not what society thinks they should say."

"Senator Domenici and Mayor Forrest represent very important facets of our nation's nuclear past, present and future," said John Waters, executive director of the Carlsbad Department of Development, the organization hosting the summit. "Our summit is an exclusive opportunity to hear them speak, and I expect it to be memorable."

Domenici, who also served as a member of the BRC, served as senator from 1973 until 2009. He has published two books on the subject of nuclear power: "A Brighter Tomorrow: Fulfilling the Promise of Nuclear Energy," which he wrote, and "Advanced Nuclear Technologies -- Hearing Before the Committee on Appropriations, U.S. Senate," which he edited.

Forrest was mayor of Carlsbad for 16 total years, finishing his second of two 8-year-stints in 2010. He concluded his presentation to the BRC in 2011 visit with a strong suggestion - "whatever you do, just do something."

The focus of this year's summit will be "Balancing Policy with Science," and the event will take a comprehensive look at the nation's nuclear history and paths forward to cleaning up the nation's nuclear waste.

WIPP, located about 26 miles southeast of Carlsbad, is a U.S. Department of Energy facility used for the permanent disposal of defense-generated transuranic (TRU) waste. TRU waste is permanently disposed of in the thick salt beds of an underground repository, 2,150 feet beneath the earth's surface. Limited tours of WIPP will be available as part of the summit.

Visit www.nuclearfuelcyclesummit.org for more information and to sign up for the National Nuclear Fuel Cycle Summit.

The Carlsbad Department of Development promotes the economic and general welfare of the citizens of the City of Carlsbad and South Eddy County, New Mexico.

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