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Press Release

For Immediate Release
May 20, 2008
Contact: Sean C. Bonyun
(202) 225-3761

Upton Comments on Long-term Storage of Spent Nuclear Fuel
Upton: “It is imperative that clean, safe nuclear power is at the forefront as we seek to solidify our nation’s energy supply and foster a new era of energy independence and reduced emissions.”

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Fred Upton (R-MI), ranking Republican of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality, made the following statement at this morning’s subcommittee hearing on H.R. 5632, a bill to prohibit the importation of certain low-level radioactive waste into the United States.

Upton’s full opening statement is provided:

As a strong supporter of nuclear power, I hope today’s hearing on importing low-level waste is just a first step towards discussing the larger issues of long-term storage of spent nuclear fuel or the nuclear fuel cycle.  I see the bill at the center of this hearing as a NIMBY – Not In My Back Yard – issue that could serve as a distraction from the coming nuclear renaissance many of us are fighting for.  I look forward to upcoming hearings on building new nuclear power plants, recycling spent fuel, and certainly the successful completion of Yucca Mountain.

While I have great respect for my friends on the other side who introduced this legislation, I am concerned it could be used by the opponents of nuclear power to delay new plants from coming on-line and cause further roadblocks to the recycling and safe disposal of spent fuel and low-level waste.

Despite what the proponents of this legislation may claim today, this isn’t necessarily about importing waste from Italy – which happens to be identical to the domestic waste safely being processed and disposed of today.  This is about shutting down ALL of our domestic processing and disposal capabilities.  And eventually, the moth-balling of all of our zero emissions nuclear power plants. 

In a statement last November, Mr. Gordon said, “I don’t want Tennessee to become the nation’s – and now the world’s – nuclear dumping ground.”  Waste is not being dumped in Tennessee. It is being processed and recycled there before it is safely disposed of at a privately owned site in Utah.  If the opponents of nuclear energy were successful in shutting down the recycling facility in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, it would have a devastating impact on the 104 nuclear reactors that are operating right now in this country.  Low-level radioactive material from nearly all 104 domestic nuclear plants is sent to Bear Creek, for processing and Clive, Utah, for safe storage. 

We cannot compete on a global scale if we shut down our domestic facilities.  Members of this very subcommittee represent 18 different states that send waste to be processed and stored by EnergySolutions at their facilities.  I have two nuclear power plants in my district that send their low-level waste across state lines for processing and storage.  These services are essential to the success of nuclear power.

Nuclear power is safe, clean and affordable; by enhancing our use of nuclear we can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, protect the environment, and achieve more energy independence.  Nuclear power produces only 20 percent of our electricity, but represents a staggering 70 percent of the nations zero emission power.  By blocking the safe disposal and recycling of waste, we’re taking our eye off the ball and distracting ourselves from one of the most effective domestic energy sources to fight climate change.

Unfortunately, at issue today is low-level waste, while the real issue for us to address should be fulfilling our commitment to permanently and safely storing spent nuclear fuel deep inside Yucca Mountain in the Nevada desert.  Spent nuclear fuel, as well as low-level waste, should be located at one site, deep within the bedrock of the Nevada desert for tens of thousands of years rather than in temporary stockpiles scattered throughout 31 states. 

An issue I’d like to see this subcommittee address is the great capability of reprocessing spent nuclear fuel.  Through advanced technologies that reduce the volume, heat and toxicity of used nuclear fuel, it is possible to separate the uranium from the spent fuel to once again power commercial nuclear reactors.  With our current once-through fuel cycle, an individual’s lifetime footprint of spent fuel is about the size of a soda pop can.  Using proven recycling technology, we’ll be able to reduce the volume of our spent nuclear fuel footprint 95 percent to that of a Kennedy half dollar.  It is my hope that we can take advantage of these exciting technologies that will allow us to not only extract more power from nuclear fuel, but also dramatically reduce the amount of spent fuel across the nation.  I look forward to working with my friends on both sides of the aisle on this committee to produce legislation that we can hopefully get to the President’s desk this year.

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