May 18, 2015 | By Barbara Vergetis Lundin

Both Democrats and Republicans support a federal repository for used nuclear fuel. That was just one message being delivered at the Nuclear Energy Institute's (NEI) recent Nuclear Energy Assembly.

Rep. John Shimkus at the Nuclear Energy Assembly. Credit: Nuclear Energy Institute

Addressing the 2015 Nuclear Energy Assembly last week, Rep. John Shimkus, chairman of the House Environment and the Economy Subcommittee, said bipartisan support for a federal repository for used uranium fuel exists in the House and the Senate.

In his remarks, Assistant Democratic Leader Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina touted nuclear energy's clean air attributes and said the technology is a vital component of the nation's infrastructure, identifying the management of used nuclear fuel as the top challenge confronting the industry.

"The future of this industry depends upon our ability to solve the [nuclear waste] issue," Clyburn said.

Their remarks came just a week after the House approved appropriations legislation for fiscal 2016, including $150 million for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to continue licensing activity for the proposed Yucca Mountain repository in Nevada.

Shimkus stressed the significance of the NRC's issuance of a key safety evaluation of Yucca Mountain.

"The safety evaluation on the Yucca repository shows it will be safe for one million years. How dare we take that off the table," Shimkus said.

Last month, Shimkus led a bipartisan delegation to Yucca Mountain to help inform Congress' efforts to establish a workable, long-term solution to nuclear waste management. Last week, he called a hearing to discuss the nation's nuclear waste management policy.

"The site is an invaluable national asset isolated in the Nevada desert, removed from all population centers, and co-located with the Nevada National Security Site. Since my previous visit in 2011, the landscape has notably advanced to support the development of this permanent repository," Shimkus testified.

Interest in used nuclear fuel policy has intensified in Congress in recent months driven by the new Republican control of both chambers, the court-ordered suspension of Nuclear Waste Fund fees, and the announced retirement of Nevada Sen. Harry Reid. Earlier this year, the DOE announced a plan to site and develop two storage sites for high-level radioactive waste from U.S. defense programs and commercial used fuel.

These sites are a step in the right direction, but House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton testified that moving the issue forward will require legislation.

"Some suggest an interim storage program, intended to take title to commercial spent nuclear fuel and move defense nuclear waste on an accelerated timeframe," Upton said at the hearing. "But we must ensure that spent nuclear fuel will not be stored in an 'interim' facility forever."

Greg White, member of the Michigan Public Service Commission, who provided testimony on behalf of National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC), said that under the current state of the nuclear waste management program, there is nothing to show for ratepayer's money.

"Since 1982, more than $40 billion in direct payments and interest have been paid into the U.S. Nuclear Waste Fund. And for all of those billions of dollars, so far, the ratepayers have nothing to show for it," he testified. "The efforts to shut down the Yucca Mountain Licensing project -- the nation's one and only permanent repository for high-level spent nuclear fuel authorized by law -- puts the country in the exact same status we occupied 33 years ago in 1982. Federal officials continue to 'kick the cask' down the road -- eliminating any impetus for real progress on the waste problem."

Shimkus is exploring options for the country's nuclear future, including working with all affected parties to identify the incentives and considerations necessary to move Yucca Mountain forward.

"I am committed to working with state and local stakeholders in Nevada who will engage in a constructive conversation to resolve the current impasse," his testimony concluded. "Just saying no is not an option."

For more:
- read this article

http://www.fierceenergy.com/story/spent-nuclear-waste-bipartisan-issue/2015-05-18