Reps. Upton, Shimkus react to GAO’s Yucca Mountain Report

Published on June 01, 2017 by Daily Energy Insider Reports


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Energy Subcommittee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) and Environment Subcommittee Chairman John Shimkus (R-IL) recently released a statement on a report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) on the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Yucca Mountain Restart Plans.

The committee leaders requested the report in February 2016 and asked GAO to assess DOE’s ability to complete the Yucca Mountain License Application.

Yucca Mountain would permanently house the nearly 80,000 metric tons of radioactive waste currently stored at power plants across the nation. DOE proposed the construction of the facility in 2008 but, in
2010, reversed course and decided not to pursue the project.

“While some challenges remain, this report provides DOE and NRC a roadmap to take the necessary steps
to complete the Yucca Mountain license,” Upton and Shimkus said.

In its report, GAO outlined four steps that it says are necessary for the licensing process to be completed. The steps include the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and other parties receiving direction to resume the licensing process, rebuilding organizational capacity, reconvening the parties and completing the remaining phases of the adjudication, and fulfilling the process’s remaining steps, which include the Commission’s final ruling on whether to approve construction of the repository.

“Completing the licensing process is of critical importance because it provides the state of Nevada the opportunity to publicly make their case in front of independent NRC judges,” Upton and Shimkus said. “As the committee works toward comprehensive legislation regarding our nuclear waste policy, we will work in coordination with DOE to address the issues outlined in this report.”