502 words\16 December 2009Energy Washington WeekIEPAVol. 6, No. 50EnglishCopyright © 2009, Inside Washington Publishers. All rights reserved. Also available in print and online as part of www.EnergyWashington.com.
Nevada officials closely tracking the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's review of the DOE Yucca Mountain application review anticipate the department will extend the process well into 2010 but will withdraw the license some time after depositions begin in early February on the 225 contentions Nevada has brought against the Yucca waste site but before the late-2010 or early 2011 hearings start.
Since a DOE memo was leaked last month industry and Nevada officials have been anticipating DOE's withdrawal of its application to build a permanent waste facility in Nevada. The memo said that in December DOE would be ending all actions to defend Yucca Mountain against criticisms, prompting nuclear energy industry sources to expect that DOE would by now have announced its application withdrawal because it is getting late for any federal action, according to industry sources. The sources say the DOE memo leak and a lack of overall response by DOE on Yucca Mountain has created confusion among industry observers who hope that the department will provide clarification of its intended waste management strategy once the Yucca license is yanked.
Industry sources are also baffled by DOE and administration foot dragging on the formation of a blue-ribbon commission, which is seen as the federal government's process for defining a new nuclear waste strategy now that the administration has said Yucca Mountain is no longer an option.
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Showing posts with label Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
NRC Will Likely Reject NEI Request To Redirect Yucca Review Funds
908 words/16 December 2009/Energy Washington Week/IEPA/Vol. 6, No. 50/English/
Copyright © 2009, Inside Washington Publishers. All rights reserved. Also available in print and online as part of www.EnergyWashington.com.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is likely to reject a nuclear industry request for the commission to use its limited fiscal year 2010 budget to expedite the NRC technical review for a permanent waste repository rather than spending money to fight Nevada's "contentions" against the proposed Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository, according to Nevada state and congressional representatives. The request -- in a letter from Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) President Marvin Fertel to commission Chairman Greg Jaczko -- has provoked the ire of Nevada state officials and its legal counsel, who call the request unlawful, the sources say.
While NRC is still determining how it will respond to the letter, the commission is expected to respond soon and is likely to say "no," says a commission source. The almost certain negative response to the NEI proposal is expected because Nevada legal counsel believe Fertel's request to the commission is highly questionable, according to sources.
Commission sources say the NRC has received a detailed legal analysis of the request from Nevada's lawyers and are seriously considering the state's recommendations.
Copyright © 2009, Inside Washington Publishers. All rights reserved. Also available in print and online as part of www.EnergyWashington.com.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is likely to reject a nuclear industry request for the commission to use its limited fiscal year 2010 budget to expedite the NRC technical review for a permanent waste repository rather than spending money to fight Nevada's "contentions" against the proposed Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository, according to Nevada state and congressional representatives. The request -- in a letter from Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) President Marvin Fertel to commission Chairman Greg Jaczko -- has provoked the ire of Nevada state officials and its legal counsel, who call the request unlawful, the sources say.
While NRC is still determining how it will respond to the letter, the commission is expected to respond soon and is likely to say "no," says a commission source. The almost certain negative response to the NEI proposal is expected because Nevada legal counsel believe Fertel's request to the commission is highly questionable, according to sources.
Commission sources say the NRC has received a detailed legal analysis of the request from Nevada's lawyers and are seriously considering the state's recommendations.
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