MURKOWSKI: NO ‘TRACTION’ FOR SENATE NUKE WASTE BILL

By ExchangeMonitor

Jeremy L. Dillon
RW Monitor
2/14/2014

The “Nuclear Waste Administration Act” is unlikely to see any movement during this year due to the change in leadership of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, according to Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) during her remarks at the at the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners’ Winter Meeting, held in Washington D.C. Murkowski said that the bill did not have enough "traction" to move forward this year. “I think Sen. Murkowski was dishing a little truth, but it remains a priority for the senator, the question is where will it be on the priority list of Sen. Landrieu?” a spokesman for Murkowski said. “I think Sen. Murkowski was reflecting on conventional wisdom. She has not had a chance to sit down with Landrieu. Landrieu has been pre-occupied with some other issues, but they will sit down soon to talk about their priorities. I think Landrieu will be the determining factor on this issue.”

The Nuclear Waste Administration Act was introduced last year by then-Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) along with several other senators. Among its provisions, the bill would create a new independent agency to handle the nation’s high level radioactive waste as well as create a consent-based siting approach for interim storage. Both Wyden and Murkowski, the ranking member on the Senate Energy committee, co-authored the bill drawing from some of the recommendations of the Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future.

Comments are closed.

March 17, 2014

MURKOWSKI: NO ‘TRACTION’ FOR SENATE NUKE WASTE BILL

By ExchangeMonitor

The “Nuclear Waste Administration Act” is unlikely to see any movement during this year due to the change in leadership of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee , according to Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) during remarks at the at the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners’ Winter Meeting, held in Washington D.C. Murkowski said that the bill did not have enough "traction" to move forward this year. “I think Sen. Murkowski was dishing a little truth, but it remains a priority for the senator, the question is where will it be on the priority list of Sen. Landrieu?” a spokesman for Murkowski said. “I think Sen. Murkowski was reflecting on conventional wisdom. She has not had a chance to sit down with Landrieu. Landrieu has been pre-occupied with some other issues, but they will sit down soon to talk about their priorities. I think Landrieu will be the determining factor on this issue.”

The Nuclear Waste Administration Act was introduced last year by then Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) along with several other senators. Among its provisions, the bill would create a new independent agency to handle the nation’s high level radioactive waste as well as create a consent-based siting approach for interim storage. Both Wyden and Murkowski, the ranking member on the Senate Energy committee, co-authored the bill drawing from some of the recommendations of the Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future.

Comments are closed.