The NRC was forced by the Courts in 2012 to rewrite its “rule” which asserted that storing high-level radioactive waste at reactor sites was not an environmental problem. The final NRC Rule was issued in 2014. Many safe-energy groups nationwide testified against this Rule.
Testimony provided to NRC on Waste Confidence Rule
The NRC was forced by the federal courts in 2012 to justify with hard data, not just verbal assurances as was historically the case, that all the radioactive wastes generated by all U.S. reactors to this day can be safely stored onsite at these reactors. If NRC cannot do this, they will lose their authority to give out operating licenses to new reactors, or re-license old reactors. This would result in the complete shutdown of the nuclear power industry moving forward.
NEIS, Physicians for Social Responsibility, Sierra Club and hundreds of other organizations locally and nationally had NO confidence in NRC’s “waste confidence” rule, as it is called. Some summary information is provided here.
The Rule was re-written, and NRC’s final rule was accepted by the Courts in August, 2014. It was appealed unsuccessfully by environmental groups around the country.
Background in more detail:
- Waste Confidence in a nutshell
- Talking Points–Wasteconpolicy NIRS 9-26-13
- Essential Points To Make In Your Comments About NRC’S Waste Confidence Rule
- The State of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s Waste Confidence Act, as of September 2013
- It All Boils Down TO — Can We Trust the NRC?
- Court of Appeals decision 6-8-12
- Detailed comments on the Draft EIS (Jan. 2013)
- NRC Issues Final Rule to Replace Waste Confidence Decision, Ends Licensing Suspension, 8/26/14
