U.S. House Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming
Washington, D.C. -More than a dozen members of the House of Representatives joined Representative Jim Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., Ranking Republican on the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, in expressing support for a Nuclear Regulatory Commission board's ruling against the Obama Administration's projects to abandon the 30-year, $10-billion taxpayer investment in Nevada's Yucca Mountain nuclear waste facility.
"The Atomic Safety and Licensing Board got it right," Sensenbrenner said. "While the political favor to Senator Harry Reid is obvious, the board failed to see any actual merit in the Energy Department's request to withdraw Yucca Mountain as a nuclear waste facility. There were no safety concerns, no cost concerns, only political concerns, and I'm pleased that the board saw through this and voted against this wasteful policy change by the Administration. The full Nuclear Regulatory Commission should now follow suit."
The letter, signed by 14 members of Congress and sent to NRC Chairman Gregory Jaczko, also raised concerns that some members of the NRC have indicated they could vote against further development of the Yucca Mountain facility, regardless of the merits. The letter said that during a February Senate hearing, Nuclear Regulatory Commissioners George Apostolakis, William Magwood, and William Ostendorff all told the Senators they would not 2nd guess the D.O.E.'s decision to withdraw the license application for Yucca Mountain. Senator Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., submitted the question on Yucca Mountain.
"The massive investment in both time and taxpayer dollars warrant proper consideration of the license application by the NRC. Over the course of thirty years, approximately $10 billion have been spent on Yucca Mountain. Throwing away this investment due to a campaign pledge is not acceptable. Should the Commission overturn the board's decision, D.O.E. and Congress will be forced to start anew to address spent fuel, which will only cost more taxpayer dollars, increase the government's liability, and burden facilities that are currently storing waste on-site," the letter said.
Additionally, the letter said that by reversing course on Yucca Mountain, the Obama Administration was ignoring Congress' clear intent to develop the Nevada facility into the nation's primary nuclear waste storage repository.
Other signers included: Reps. Bob Inglis, R-S.C., Joe Wilson, R-S.C., Gresham Barrett, R-S.C., Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., Doc Hastings, R-Wash., John Shimkus, R-Ill., Jo Bonner, R-Ala., Donald Manzullo, R-Ill., Steven LaTourette, R-Ohio, Lee Terry, R-Neb., Paul Broun, R-Ga., Pete Olson, R-Texas, and Dennis Rehberg, R-Mont.
