Nevada senators express concerns about NRC nominees’ support of nuclear waste storage at Yucca Mountain

U.S. Senators Dean Heller (R-NV) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) raised concerns this week about the pending nominations of potential members of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and their support for the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository.

The senators voiced their concerns in a joint statement to the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works ahead of a hearing on the nominations. Kristine Svinicki, Annie Caputo and David Wright were nominated for the NRC roles.

“We recognize that the nominees considered before the Committee today have a history and record of strongly supporting moving forward with the Yucca Mountain repository,” Heller and Cortez Masto wrote. “We remain hopeful that the nominees, if confirmed, approach this issue without any pre-existing bias and conflicts of interest. Furthermore, we look forward to questioning the nominees at a later date on these issues to ensure that they are fully aware of the hundreds of contentions filed by our state on this ill-conceived project.”

If licensed, Yucca Mountain would serve as a permanent repository for used nuclear fuel. The project would be located in Nye County, Nevada.

The NRC is led by five Commissioners who are appointed by the President of the United States and confirmed by the United States Senate for five-year terms. One of them is chosen to be the chairman and official spokesperson of the Commission. Kristine Svinicki, whose nomination is a reappointment, currently serves as chairman.