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Energy Secretary: Yucca Mountain could restart
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STEPHENS WASHINGTON BUREAU
Updated: Mar. 16, 2011 | 7:53 a.m.
WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration would revive the Yucca Mountain program if it loses upcoming legal challenges over the fate of the nuclear waste site, Energy Secretary Steven Chu told Congress on Tuesday.
It would take two or three years for the Department of Energy to restart the repository project, terminated by President Barack Obama, Chu told members of a House subcommittee.
"We will take it one step at a time," Chu said. "We have preserved the records, and some of the key people have been transferred to the nuclear energy division and so we can start this up. If we are required to start it up, we will start it up."
But Chu made clear that the administration prefers to move on after nearly three decades of conflict over the effort to store nuclear waste in Nevada.
"The history of Yucca Mountain is one that has taught us a lesson," Chu said. "In picking future sites you are going to have to start a dialogue with the states and communities and do this in a way where 49 (states) don't gang up on one."
Chu's remarks were made to the House appropriations energy and water subcommittee, which has approved close to $10 billion for Yucca Mountain over the years. Members were displeased by the administration's decision to shelve the project.
"Many of us are keen on making sure we don't lose out on this substantial investment," said subcommittee Chairman Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen, R-N.J.
Next week, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit is to hear oral arguments in a Yucca Mountain challenge to the Obama administration brought by South Carolina, Washington state and others with an interest in creating a permanent disposal site.
"There are a lot of us who feel in order to change this, Congress has to pass a law and the administration cannot just unilaterally shut this thing down," said Rep. Norm Dicks, D-Wash.
Chu said DOE lawyers tell him the administration is on solid ground in terminating the project.
Contact Stephens Washington Bureau Chief Steve Tetreault at stetreault@stephensmedia.com or 202-783-1760.
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First the federal government makes it illegal to recycle used nuclear fuel, disregarding that this is the best way to use the material and reduce the amount of radioactive material that needs to be managed.
Then, they decide to make up for their backwards law, they'll simply collect a fee from everyone who pays a utility bill and they will use the money they collect to create a "repository" to safely store the fuel that should be recycled and reused.
Then, they collect fees for decades and amass a trillions of dollars for the service... but start a phony debate about whether or not they should provide the service the public has already been paid to do.
NOW, they take the money and make it disappear, close the program down, and act like nothing ever happened... Oh, but if we ever do this again, we'll do it differently???
Okay, but what about all the money you already took from all of us? Give it back!! Thieves!!! Liars!!! Con-artists!!!
22 months to go.
Two or three years because "We will take it one step at a time" ??? Really?? It could restart immediately and within 6 months be full steam ahead. 2 to 3 years is nothing more than typical Obama/Reid kick the problem to the next administration BS. Dr. Chu, why have you sold your soul to the devils? Sad. Very sad.
And then there is " some of the key people have been transferred to the nuclear energy division ".
he contractor staff at USARS LLC did all of the design, analysis and license application. DOE staff were merely oversight and ultimately performed illegal actions of shutting down the project. Keep DOE staff out of it!! USARS knows exactly where all of the critical and key design team members have gone, and can reconstitute them within a month.
Hey Congress!!! I hope you read this and understand that Chu is outright lying for his masters Obama and Reid.
If the court rules against DOE next week, Congress should expect and demand that DOE management restart the project within 3 months! It can be done easily!!!
Oh. And like the article say--Yucca will go on. After the court case.
"Impeach.Dirty.Harry wrote on March 16, 2011 02:09 PM: the Nobel has been handed to those that are not worthy."
Which Nobel? There's more than one. You called it a trinket. You are FOS.
I bet it restarts
Dirty harry will not get re elected again and willhave to play ball
Nv is a waste land full of degenerates,and its time it gets the waste it so deserves
the rate payers from other states have been paying into it as of 1987
Nv will soon wake up to high level waste,it is already getting low level
rip
losers
@Jack.Webb: Wrong again oh Webbed one... I respect science... I have 3 degrees in the Sciences... the Nobel has been handed to those that are not worthy... Thus, reducing its stature...
Chu has become a puppet and has disgraced his charge of using Sound Science...
As much as the paranoid right-wingers posting below would like to do, my original point was that it was ridiculous to assert that Chu believes everything Reid tells him, and it's even more ridiculous for "Steve" to assert that he's more with-it than Chu.
Now, you can keep pretending that my points were something else. Carry on.
"Green Dragon Regular wrote on March 16, 2011 10:07 AM: @Jack.Woebbels- Classic Alinsky tactic- attack the messenger."
You mean the Fox "News" and AM radio guys are Alinsky followers?
"Impeach.Dirty.Harry wrote on March 16, 2011 11:21 AM: @ Jack.Webb: BTW -- The Nobel Prize is merely another tarnished trinket."
Why are conservatives allergic to science?