Perry: No decisions yet on interim nuke waste sites
WASHINGTON — Energy Secretary Rick Perry clarified a previous statement on interim nuclear waste storage, telling a Senate subcommittee Wednesday that no decisions have been made on temporary sites for spent fuel in Texas, New Mexico or Nevada.
Private companies in New Mexico and Texas have submitted applications to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to store nuclear waste on an interim basis.
Perry created a firestorm Tuesday when he suggested to the House Appropriations subcommittee on energy that the Nevada National Security Site could store waste temporarily.
The suggestion brought an avalanche of criticism from Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval and members of the state’s congressional delegation.
Before the Senate Appropriations subcommittee on energy, Perry clarified the statement to note that no decision has been made on interim storage and that any such plan would require coordination with Congress.
“I think it is appropriate to say, there are no plans at this particular time for interim storage in New Mexico, Nevada or Texas or any other site,” Perry said.
Sandoval said he appreciated the clarification and encouraged “the secretary to pursue consent-based interim storage solutions.”
Perry was appearing before the Senate panel to defend the $28 billion budget request for the Energy Department.
The budget includes $110 million to restart the stalled licensing for the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste site in Nevada and $10 million for interim storage study.
Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-tenn., chairman of the Senate subcommittee, applauded the restart of the Yucca Mountain licensing but said additional storage will be needed to address the growing stockpile of waste at nuclear power plants nationwide.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-calif., the ranking Democrat on the subcommittee, said it was imperative to move spent fuel from states, but she questioned the safety of Yucca Mountain.
In a letter that Alexander placed in the record, Sen. Dean Heller, R-nev., urged the committee not to appropriate funds to restart licensing at Yucca Mountain and noted the opposition in the state to open the repository.
Contact Gary Martin at 2022-6627390 or gmartin@reviewjournal. com. Follow @garymartindc on Twitter.