The Department of Energy has scheduled its next public hearing on the consent-based siting process for nuclear waste storage for Tuesday in Chicago. This is one of several public meetings the department is planning to gather feedback on the program.
The department in December 2015 formally initiated a three-phase siting process for storing America’s spent nuclear waste. The plan envisions a pilot facility, interim facilities, and eventually one or more permanent repositories. DOE held its kick-off meeting in Washington, D.C., in January.
The next meeting, to begin at noon at the University of Chicago’s Gleacher Center, will include appearances by DOE acting Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy John Kotek, as well as local officials and industry experts. Those include Zion, Ill., Mayor Al Hill; Nuclear Energy Information Service Director David Kraft; Illinois Commerce Commissioner Ann McCabe; and Kim Wasserman-Nieto, organizing and strategy director for the Little Village Environmental Justice Organization.
