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DOE nominee hopeful new science has answers for nuclear waste
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Steven Chu
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STEPHENS WASHINGTON BUREAU
Updated: Jan. 13, 2009 | 6:17 p.m.
WASHINGTON — Steven Chu said today that as energy secretary he will pursue the “best possible scientific analysis” to chart the disposal of the nation’s nuclear waste, without saying specifically what he plans to do about the proposed Yucca Mountain repository.
Appearing at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Chu was asked how he plans to approach nuclear waste management where the government’s preferred disposal site in Nevada is more than 10 years behind schedule.
Nuclear waste poses “very thorny questions,” Chu said, noting that President-elect Barack Obama has stated “very clearly” his opposition to the repository where the Energy Department is seeking a license to build disposal tunnels for more than 77,000 tons of radioactive material.
But if confirmed as expected, Chu will be the Energy Department leader, and he similarly offered no endorsement of the Yucca project in answering questions about nuclear power and its byproducts.
Rather he spoke beyond the program, saying several times that finding a “solution” to the issue of nuclear waste storage would be a priority, including the possibility of joining with other nations that are exploring advanced methods to recycle nuclear waste.
Chu said those efforts should not hold up development of new nuclear power plants.
“I am very confident the Department of Energy with cooperation with other countries can get a solution to the nuclear waste problem,” he said.
Chu, a Chinese-American who has been director of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory since 2004, said he hopes science will provide answers, including nuclear waste recycling “in the long term.”
“There is a lot of new science coming to the fore, and I will look to use the best possible scientific analysis to try to figure out a way to go forward with nuclear waste disposal,” said Chu, who is 60. “That will occupy a significant part of our time and energy.”
On other topics, Chu, who shared a Nobel Prize in physics in 1997, promised senators that if confirmed he will aggressively pursue policies aimed at addressing climate change and achieving greater energy independence by developing clean energy sources.
But he also told lawmakers that he views nuclear power and coal as critical parts of the nation’s energy mix and said he was optimistic that ways can be found to make coal a cleaner energy source by capturing its carbon dioxide emissions.
Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., the Energy Committee chairman, said he saw no serious opposition to Chu’s nomination and that a committee vote approving his selection probably would occur later this week. The full Senate could act as soon as Jan. 20, right after Obama takes office.
Chu told senators that climate change is “a growing and pressing problem” and the nation’s dependence on oil represents a threat to the U.S. economy and security.
Of the risks from global warming, Chu said: “It is now clear that if we continue on our current path, we run the risk of dramatic disruptive changes to our climate system in the lifetimes of our children and grandchildren.”
Chu said nuclear energy produces a fifth of the nation’s electricity and 70 percent of the carbon-free electricity and “is going to be an important part of our energy mix.”
About domestic oil production, Chu reiterated Obama’s views that some expansion of offshore oil and gas development should be included as part of a broader energy plan.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. Contact Stephens Washington Bureau Chief Steve Tetreault at stetreault@stephensmedia.com or 202-783-1760.
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Chu parsed his words very carefully because he needs to make sure Harry Reid approves of whatever he says. He plans on being a good puppet for Reid.
I think that the economic advantages to anyone who comes up with a way to disarm nuclear waste are SO great that we dont need a government agency to sit there and waste our money on highly paid bureaucrats