Jeremy L. Dillon
RW Monitor
3/28/2014
House Environment and the Economy Subcommittee Chairman John Shimkus (R-Ill.) may bring in the Department of Energy and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, as well as contractors, to get answers on potential project deadlines and estimated costs figures for Yucca Mountain, according to a statement issued this week. Shimkus has long been a vocal advocate of the now-shuttered Yucca Mountain project as the solution to the nation’s spent nuclear fuel problem, and with DOE’s and NRC’s recent Fiscal Year 2015 budget requests showing no requests for Yucca appropriations, he accused the two of violating the law in an op-ed piece published in Roll Call. “I plan to examine the actions necessary for NRC and DOE to complete the licensing process and restart the Yucca Mountain program, including resource and contracting needs, projected timelines, and the ability to reconstitute staff,” Shimkus wrote. “At a minimum, we need to verify that DOE is maintaining the ability to restart the Yucca Mountain program and to hear from contractors about their ability to support such a restart.”
Some of Shimkus’ frustration seems to stem from NRC’s and DOE’s refusal to disclose projected costs and time schedules for moving the licensing application for Yucca Mountain forward. Shimkus’ subcommittee requested that DOE provide the time schedule and project costs back in August of last year, but the Department has yet to satisfy those demands. Shimkus also wanted his statements to act as a reminder to DOE and NRC “that any further dismantlement of the Yucca Mountain program would run counter to the law as affirmed by the DC Circuit Court,” he wrote. “The DC Circuit Court has been very clear that we have a site, it’s Yucca Mountain, and it’s the law,” Shimkus wrote. “At some point, we expect this administration to follow the law and restart the Yucca Mountain program.”
From the NRC’s perspective, though, the Commission says it has been following the court’s decision. “If the Congressman has sent us a letter we will respond directly in due time,” NRC spokesman David McIntyre said. “I will point out however that the NRC has restarted the Yucca Mountain licensing review in accordance with the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit’s ruling last August, and that we have kept Congress apprised of the status of our efforts through monthly updates and responses to questions for the record, all of which are available on our website.” DOE declined to comment this week.
NRC Will Talk with DOE about Yucca Supplemental EIS
Meanwhile, the NRC staff has announced that it will meet with DOE on April 7 to discuss DOE’s recent announcement that it would not complete the Yucca Mountain supplemental Environmental Impact Statement requested by the NRC to complete the licensing review. DOE is arguing that since it submitted a groundwater EIS in 2008, it does not have to update the EIS to fulfill its Nuclear Waste Policy Act legal obligations. The NRC issued an Order in November setting forth a pathway to re-start the Yucca Mountain licensing review, including the request for a supplemental EIS from DOE on groundwater issues to satisfy requirements set forth in the National Environmental Policy Act. The planned meeting is open to the public and will include a public comment period.
