Witnesses testified about the Radioactive Import Deterrence Act (H.R. 515), which would ban the importation of certain kinds of radioactive waste. At issue was a Utah company’s plan to import 20,000 tons of low-level radioactive waste from Italy which would be processed in Tennessee and compacted to 1,600 tons for storage at a facility in Utah. 
Tennessee Congressman Bart Gordon, one of the lead sponsors of this bill, took part in this hearing. He is not on this subcommittee, but he is on the full committee, and he chairs the House Science and Technology Committee.