Legislation, Letters, Hearings - All Urging Action on Nuclear Waste in the US

摘要

April 30 and May 1 were two busy days for nuclear wasterelatedissues and efforts to “solve” the nuclear waste stalemateafter decades of the US government kicking the proverbial“can” down the road rather than compromising, makingtough political decisions, funding, and pursuing a sustainablesolution. Because of that inaction, the US has about 80,000metric tons of commercial spent fuel stored at 98 operatingnuclear power sites, 15 shutdown sites (over 3,000 spent fuelcasks in dry storage), plus high-level radioactive waste andspent fuel stored at Department of Energy (DOE) sitesaround the nation. DOE has collected nearly $50 billion forthe Nuclear Waste Fund (NWF) in direct payments and accruedinterest. Approximately $15 billion has been spent onresearch and development of the Yucca Mountain repository,and $7.4 billion has been paid to utilities as of September 30,2018 to compensate them for storing spent fuel at their reactorsites 21 years after the federal government was contractuallyand legally obligated to start removing it. In addition,every year, US taxpayers pay between $500 and $800 million– or about $2 million per day – from the taxpayer-fundedJudgment Fund. Activities this week to address this untenablesituation included the following:1. The consequences of continued inaction about nuclearwaste were discussed during an April 30 hearing of theSenate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources ona bill that would encourage new nuclear energy technologies– the Nuclear Energy Leadership Act.2. On April 30, a 2019 version of an old nuclear waste billwas reintroduced in the Senate – the Nuclear Waste AdministrationAct of 2019.3. On April 30, a letter from a coalition of industry groupswas sent to Congressional leadership pleading for “urgentaction” to fund “critical elements of an effective nuclearwaste management program.”4. On April 30, the Nevada Governor again documentedhis opposition to Yucca Mountain in a letter to the SenateCommittee on Environment and Public Works(EPW) committee.5. On May 1, the Senate EPW committee held a hearing ona discussion draft of the Nuclear Waste Policy AmendmentsAct of 2019.6. On May 1, the Senate Energy & Water AppropriationsSubcommittee held a hearing on the fiscal year (FY)2020 NRC budget request.