Citing ‘Years of Inaction,’ Rep. Levin Leads Bipartisan Bill to Update Nuclear Waste Management
Nuclear waste is stored in communities across the United States, and the systems in place to manage it are old, underfunded, and out of date — potentially putting the health of entire communities at risk.
The bipartisan Nuclear Waste Administration Act of 2024, authored by California Democrat Mike Levin and Texas Republican August Pfluger, would bring the country’s nuclear waste management program up to date and establish an independent Nuclear Waste Administration to oversee it.
“The federal government has a responsibility to safely manage our nation’s nuclear waste, but we’ve been caught in an impasse for decades,” said Levin in a statement,
“Years of inaction have left nuclear waste stored in communities all across the country –including ours — and with the federal government currently spending $2 million per day for the failure to fulfill its obligation to find a real solution. It’s clear that now is the time to act on bold solutions.”
The bill would also provide for a consent-based process for nuclear waste storage and ensure reliable funding for its management, in line with recommendations from the 2012 Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future report.
“As co-chairs of Spent Fuel Solutions and the County Supervisors who represent the communities closest to the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station, we support this important legislation and applaud the leadership of Representatives Levin and Pfluger,” said Spent Fuel Solutions co-chairs Supervisor Jim Desmond (R) and Supervisor Katrina Foley (D).
“Our coalition is encouraged by recent progress on consent-based siting for interim storage and urges the swift consideration of this bill to support the development of a permanent repository, as well.
“Through this bipartisan effort, we are confident the U.S. can secure offsite, federally licensed storage and disposal solutions for the spent nuclear fuel being stored in 34 states across the nation.”
Levin, whose constituency spans San Diego and Orange counties, made getting rid of spent nuclear fuel from the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station a priority when he was elected, appointing the SONGS Task Force to develop policy recommendations to address long-term storage and disposal solutions. The task force recommended that an independent federal agency be established to manage nuclear waste.
The Nuclear Waste Administration Act is also co-sponsored by Democratic Rep. Scott Peters. It builds on legislation that California Sen. Dianne Feinstein championed while she served in the United States Senate.
By: Brooke Binkowski
Source: Times of San Diego