From Deseret News archives:
Nuclear waste storage plan would strain NRC, official says
The House and Senate will decide later this year whether to adopt a temporary waste storage option that could move nuclear waste from commercial power reactors to regional sites until the federal site in Nevada would open.
New Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chairman Dale Klein said the plan that could put up to 37 temporary sites across the country "would cause a burden on the NRC."
The commission knows how to regulate "at-reactor" storage, Klein said. The commission has approved numerous storage casks at nuclear power plants as companies still wait for the permanent federal storage at Nevada's Yucca Mountain, 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas.
The commission has also approved a license for Private Fuel Storage, a planned storage site in Tooele County supported by a handful of nuclear power utilities. PFS is currently looking for more investors to help construct the storage site as well as way to move the waste into Utah. Utah's congressional delegation and the state have been fighting the project.
Klein said the commission would follow whatever law Congress passed pertaining to the temporary storage of waste.
"It's not our job to determine what's preferable," Klein said.
Congress will come back in session after Labor Day and have to tackle a host of legislation, including the energy and water spending bills.
The Senate still needs an initial vote on its bill that contains $10 million to start a federal temporary storage program, which could include these regional storage sites. The Senate bill specifically disqualifies Utah from getting a federal site because PFS already has a license, but the bill does not prohibit companies from using PFS instead of a government waste facility.
The House passed its version of the energy and water spending bill, which contained $30 million for the temporary storage of nuclear waste, saying the government could consider private sites as well as federal facilities to store it.
E-mail: suzanne@desnews.com
Comments
- Cougars beat Utes in overtime 1:11 a.m.
- UVU beats SUU; USU wins big 12:57 a.m.
- BYU spikers end season with a loss 12:55 a.m.
- Iverson may be headed to 76ers 12:34 a.m.
- Credit Coug defense for win 12:33 a.m.
- Aggies blow away T-birds 12:32 a.m.
- Mo steals show in Cavaliers' victory 12:31 a.m.
- Editorial: Facilitate Big Brother? 12:22 a.m.
- Mom befriends wife of PTSD vet 12:21 a.m.
- Political clash over U.S. debt 12:21 a.m.
- Cave to be sealed with body inside
- Hall mouths off about hate of Utah
- Predicting the unpredictable: BYU wins
- Cougars beat Utes in overtime
- BYU is champion of the state
- Man trapped in Nutty Putty cave dies
- Idaho woman dies after fall
- Woods, wife unavailable for interview
- Vegas, Poinsettia bowls or bust
- Man dies in dirt bike crash
- Cougars beat Utes in overtime
396 - Hall mouths off about hate of Utah
164 - Thunder rolls by Jazz
136 - Cave to be sealed with body inside
115 - Man trapped in Nutty Putty cave dies
115 - Editorial: Poor welcome for Palin
113 - Rivalry Week is highly profane
88 - Hall's legacy measured today
75 - Y. focused on 10-win season
73 - Letters: C02 causes warming
70
I wanted to tell them not to go. I dropped subtle hints. "My money is on...
When I was a kid, I worshipped my grandpa. He was undoubtedly my hero....
watch out for next year for sure, the negatives are just closet (and...
And something else, I generally follow players from the state schools when...
I could care less that Max Hall said what he did. The feeling is mutual BYU...
Dear Max, probably could have done without that comment. Probably would've...
As a Utah fan, let me first say congratulations to Max Hall, the Cougars, and...
Geno's and Pat's are good.. but, they are mostly for tourists, the real...
(You even got a middle initial... how's that for 'ya Max) It's nice to see...
Even today, I still cannot get enough of this movie or Charles Gitonga Maina....
...disappointed with Max Hall's comments that he hates everything about UofU....
Over the last few days I read comments of people complaining about tasteless...



You can be the first to comment on this story.