Governors from 22 western U.S. states and territories are calling on the new Congress to advance a solution to the long impasse over disposal of the nation’s radioactive waste.
Radioactive waste management was among the many issues for state and federal cooperation included in the Western Governors’ Association’s priorities list, mailed Jan. 14 to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.). Specifically, the organization called on Congress to:
- “Work cooperatively with states in implementing a policy to ensure the safe transportation, storage, and disposal of spent fuel and high-level waste.”
- “Require the consent of an affected state’s Governor before allowing construction of a centralized interim storage facility.”
Nevada is one of the states represented in the WGA. The state has for decades battled the federal government’s efforts to establish a permanent repository for nuclear waste under Yucca Mountain, about 100 miles northwest of Las Vegas.
Two other member states, New Mexico and Texas, would be home to planned interim storage sites for spent nuclear reactor fuel. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is reviewing license applications for both projects.
In the last two budget cycles, Congress has failed to appropriate any money for establishing temporary or permanent waste facilities. Federal agencies are expected next month to roll out their latest budget plans, with Congress coming up with its own funding approaches through the spring. Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), the lead energy appropriator in the Senate, has said he wants funding for both Yucca Mountain and interim storage this year.
