Washington, D.C. - Today, Rep. Harley Rouda, the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Environment, held a field hearing in Laguna Niguel, California on “Examining America’s Nuclear Waste Management, Storage, and the Need for Solutions."
TAKEAWAYS
* The Chairman, Ranking Member and all witnesses recognized that the disposal of nuclear waste is a bipartisan issue and stressed the need for a bipartisan solution.
* Don Hancock of the Southwest Research and Information Center testified that it will be necessary to have multiple repositories in several locations across the country, not just a single facility located in Yucca Mountain, as the Trump administration proposed.
* Reprocessing nuclear waste is not a long-term solution for America’s nuclear waste storage problem. Nuclear waste disposal will be needed for the foreseeable future.
* Chairman Rouda focused on the need to provide economic incentives to encourage communities to consider hosting long-term storage solutions. Siting long-term nuclear storage facilities must take into account environmental and health impacts as well as safety concerns.
WITNESS
Scott Morris
Region IV Administrator
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Region IV
Tom Isaacs
Former Lead Advisor
Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future
Daniel T. Stetson
Vice Chairman
SONGS Community Engagement Panel
Don Hancock
Director and Administrator
Nuclear Waste Safety Program, on behalf of Southwest Research and Information Center
The Honorable Darrell E. Issa
Former Chairman
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
