WASHINGTON, DC -The release of the Blue Ribbon Commission on America's Nuclear Future's (BRC) final report recommends that our country use a consent-based approach to siting future nuclear waste management facilities.  ECA members strongly support this approach, noting that meaningful local and stakeholder involvement throughout the siting process is critical.  ECA is concerned that the final report did not go further by suggesting a specific oversight role for impacted local governments and communities, and recommending that adequate resources be provided for independent local oversight and involvement.

 

ECA agrees with the BRC finding that a national geologic repository must be developed and calls again for the federal government to move forward immediately .  Without a geologic repository ─ whether at Yucca Mountain, the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, or elsewhere ─ nuclear waste will remain in our communities in locations that were never planned or intended to be permanent or long-term storage sites.  Further, while our members could potentially support the establishment of a new organization to implement the country's waste management program, ECA is concerned about the length of time needed to create the new entity, given that new legislation will be needed.  Increased delays mean continued or even increased risks to our communities which are currently serving as "de-facto" storage sites.

 

One alternative ECA believes should have been recommended by the BRC is to manage on separate tracks the defense and government-owned high-level waste from commercial used fuel.  The BRC report focuses primarily on the future of commercial nuclear used fuel, with less attention to the defense high-level waste that the federal government is responsible for creating and, most importantly, cleaning up.  With estimates of 20 to 30 years to establish a plan for commercial used fuel, it does not make sense to wait that long to begin moving the defense high-level waste that has already been treated and is ready for disposal in a repository.  Disposal is the only option for defense waste since the option of reusing this material is extremely unlikely. There are multiple options for the management of commercial used fuel. Moving the defense high-level waste now will help alleviate the risk to communities that have helped support national security efforts for over sixty years and would save billions of dollars, and increase public confidence that the federal government can safely manage and dispose of nuclear waste.   ECA suggests that a pilot project similar to what was done for transuranic waste at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant be developed now.

 

With the BRC's recommendation for prompt efforts to develop one or more consolidated interim storage facilities, ECA cautions that the pursuit to identify interim storage alternatives must exist alongside the pursuit of a permanent solution and not instead of it.  Our communities believe that consolidating nuclear waste in a centralized interim storage facility could help the federal government realize significant savings versus multiple interim storage sites.  But either option must include economic incentives, health and safety monitoring, oversight and a legally binding commitment to a fixed timeframe and final disposition path for communities agreeing to host such facilities. 

 

Regarding the BRC recommendation to support continued innovation in nuclear energy technology, ECA supports exploring recycling or reprocessing used fuel as part of an integrated approach to nuclear waste management.  We believe recycling can allow the country to use what was once considered waste as a new energy resource.
 
Finally, ECA strongly supports the BRC recommendation for nuclear workforce development.  Many of our communities are already leading nuclear workforce initiatives that engage state legislators, community colleges, community reuse organizations and economic development entities, unions and nuclear employers.

 

ECA commends the work done over the past two years by the Blue Ribbon Commission and we recognize that there will be challenges in finding the political will to implement their recommendations in the near future.  A sound federal policy for nuclear waste management is needed now as communities throughout the country have been adversely impacted by past actions and inaction.

 

ECA is the non-profit organization of local governments which host, or are adjacent to DOE sites.  For further information contact Seth Kirshenberg, Executive Director of ECA at 202-828-2317 or sethk@energyca.org.

 

 

 

The Blue Ribbon Commission on America's Nuclear Future has released their final report to the Secretary of Energy.  The final report includes one new key element added to the list of the seven key elements that were originally recommended in the draft report released in July 2011.  The new key element addresses transportation of nuclear waste:

 

 

Again, the other seven key elements to improve the U.S. strategy for managing high-level wastes and spent fuel:

 

 

One other change is a footnote added in regards to storage versus disposal on page vii of the Executive Summary.  It reads:

 

The final report is available at the BRC website.