Nuke Panel Keeps Yucca Mountain Alive
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has thrown a wrench in Obama's plans to quickly shutter the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository.
On Tuesday, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s Atomic Safety and Licensing Board ruled against the immediate closure of Nevada’s nuclear waste repository, Yucca Mountain, claiming that neither the Obama administration nor the Department of Energy have the authority to permanently terminate the project.
Despite Secretary of Energy Stephen Chu’s assertion that “Yucca Mountain is no longer an option,” and Obama’s unwillingness to allocate federal funds to the project, all hope is not lost for the reopening of Nevada’s nuclear waste repository.
Last month, in an interview with FrumForum, Media Relations Manager, John Keeley, of the Nuclear Energy Institute declared that the Yucca Mountain issue no longer resided in the hands of Congressmen, claiming that the ultimate decision regarding Yucca Mountain “is not a question of changing state politics. This is a federal [law] issue.” Similarly, David Cherry, press secretary to Nevada Congresswoman Shelley Berkley (D), expressed to FrumForum editors that the project’s termination is no longer contingent on congressional decisions, insisting, “it’s dead.”
On the contrary – to the dismay of Keeley, Cherry, and other Yucca opponents – it seems that both federal law and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission require all parties to defer to Congress in determining the fate of the contentious nuclear waste repository. According to the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board’s Resolution, “unless Congress directs otherwise, [Department of Energy] may not single-handedly derail the legislated decision-making process by withdrawing the Application. DOE’s motion must therefore be denied.”
Congressional supporters of Yucca chance to gain another vital supporter: Sharron Angle (Nev.-R).
While Angle’s impressive lead after the June 8th Nevada primaries has slightly dwindled, Senate Majority Leader and fierce Yucca challenger, Harry Reid, continues to trail Angle in the polls.
The NRC’s decision to defer to Congress rather than federal officials, coupled with the heated Nevada Senate race has given many Yucca supporters hope that the project is still very much alive.