The Department of Energy estimates it has $21.4 billion in future liabilities for failing to dispose of spent nuclear fuel, a Government Accountability Office report said yesterday. Under the Nuclear Waste Policy Act, DOE is required to deal with the high level waste generated by commercial nuclear reactors, but due to the shuttering of the Yucca Mountain geological repository in 2010 by the Obama Administration, DOE has not been able to fulfil its obligations. The GAO report assessed the financial liabilities of DOE’s current strategy, which calls for interim storage by 2021, while also looking at potential challenges of implementing its strategy.
The GAO report found that DOE has an estimated pricetag for its liabilities, but it is dependent on making progress by 2021. “DOE’s most recent estimate of this liability is $21.4 billion through 2071,” the report said. “This estimate assumes that DOE will begin accepting spent nuclear fuel in 2021 and complete the process in 2071, ending the federal government’s liability. However, DOE has previously extended the dates in its liability estimates several times. For example, in the fiscal year 2006 liability estimate, DOE estimated (1) that the federal liability was $6.9 billion, (2) that DOE would begin accepting spent nuclear fuel in 2017, and (3) it would complete the process by 2055. Each time extension adds to the federal government’s liability.”
Ultimately, for DOE to move forward on its strategy, the Department needs Congressional approval and/or funding— neither of which has been easily obtained, the report said. In the meantime, the GAO recommended that DOE take steps to begin solving some of the challenges identified in transportation and licensing issues that could help to streamline the movement of spent fuel to an interim storage facility. The report recommends that the Department begin a public outreach program to regain public confidence in DOE’s ability to manage spent fuel, as well as inform communities of risks and benefits of hosting spent fuel. “However, experts and stakeholders believe that one key challenge—building and sustaining public acceptance of how to manage spent nuclear fuel—will need to be addressed irrespective of which path Congress agrees to take,” the report said. “In this context, they suggested the need for a coordinated public outreach strategy regarding spent nuclear fuel management issues, including perceived risks and benefits, which would be consistent with the Administration’s directive to be more transparent and collaborative.”
