The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission as of August had less than $600,000 in available, unobligated funds for its work on the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository.
The regulator is waiting to see whether Congress will approve its request for $30 million in fiscal 2018 to resume adjudication activities for the Department of Energy license application for the Nye County, Nev., facility. The House approved the request in its energy appropriations bill, while Senate appropriators zeroed out all DOE and NRC funding for Yucca in its version of the legislation, which is awaiting a floor vote.
In the interim, the NRC is following an August 2013 federal court order to proceed with the licensing process for Yucca Mountain even after the Obama administration suspended the project. The agency in the last four years has spent nearly $12.9 million of the $13.5 million from the Nuclear Waste Fund that was available at the time of the court ruling, topped by more than $8.3 million to finish its safety evaluation report for the site.
That includes $114,137 spent in August, according to the latest Nuclear Waste Fund update from the NRC to Congress. More than $110,000 of that was spent on knowledge management reports that provide technical information to assist in the review of Yucca Mountain. Most of the remaining spending was split almost evenly between federal litigation and program planning and support.
“During the month of August, the NRC staff continued updating the collection of knowledge management reports. These reports will contain technical topics, including climate and hydrology, in preclosure and postclosure safety assessments,” according to the NRC update. “Also in August, in accordance with records management requirements, the NRC staff conducted additional document retention activities, including archiving information used in preparation of the NRC staff’s Yucca Mountain licensing documents.”
The agency’s total unspent Nuclear Waste Fund balance stood at $672,588 in August; that encompassed $95,054 in unexpended obligations, leaving $577,534 available to spend.
