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Washington - March 28, 2006
The Administration’s pending legislative proposal is vitally important to the continued progress of the Yucca Mountain permanent repository. It is our understanding that the pending legislative proposal might include reclassification of the Nuclear Waste Fund (NWF) fees as offsetting collections; land withdrawal for the Yucca Mountain site; the lifting of the current cap on storage at Yucca Mountain; and removal of the prohibition on interim storage at the permanent repository. While the civilian nuclear waste disposal program (Program) continues to face complex challenges, we believe that legislative reform will allow the Program to remain viable and ultimately succeed. Therefore, we ask for support and strong leadership by members of Congress to fast track the elements of this pending legislation we have identified. Taking title of and stranding spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and high-level radioactive waste (HLRW) indefinitely across the nation is not an acceptable option as proposed by some members of Congress. And, the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership does not diminish in any way the need for, or the urgency of, a geologic permanent repository at Yucca Mountain. The Department of Energy (DOE) requested $544 million in the FY 2007 budget, $156M from the Nuclear Waste Fund (NWF) and $388M from the Defense Nuclear Waste Fund. The nation’s ratepayers continue to pay $750 million annually into the NWF for the Federal government to remove SNF and HLRW from commercial nuclear power plants. “Only a long-term funding fix will enable the DOE to stay on schedule; submit a high-quality licensing application; foster exemplary standards of quality assurance, accountability and integrity in the Program’s activities; and implement a transportation infrastructure systems plan that meets the deadlines it sets,” stated Commissioner LeRoy Koppendrayer, Chairman, Minnesota Public Utilities Commission and Chairman, Nuclear Waste Strategy Coalition. Past government studies have determined that the current fee level of one-tenth of a cent per kilowatt-hour is sufficient to build and operate the disposal site if the NWF collections are appropriated as required by the NWPA. Over the past several years, severe funding constraints have threatened the Program’s ability to meet previous schedules. Therefore, passage of the Administration’s pending legislative proposal will ensure sustained funding for the Program. The NWSC is an ad hoc group of state regulators, state Attorneys General, electric utilities and associate members representing 46 member organizations in 26 states. Our principal goal is to ensure that every cent collected from the nation’s ratepayers will be delivered to the Program, as intended by the 1982 NWPA, amended. |