Obama Administration Threatens Veto on Nuclear Funding Bill

Uranium (Nuclear Minerals) / Nuclear Power - Economics, Design, & Industry

Date posted: 05/19/15

Jaclyn Brandt reports that a $35.4 billion energy and water spending bill approved earlier this month by the U.S. House of Representatives would give $936 million to nuclear energy programs in fiscal year 2016 - which begins on Oct. 1. A comprehensive program to effectively manage used nuclear fuel must include completion of licensing activities for the Yucca Mountain repository, NEI Senior Vice President for Governmental Affairs, Alex Flint said in a statement. The appropriation for that project is most welcome. The bill, HR 2028, also said that none of the funds may be spent on actions that irrevocably remove the possibility that Yucca Mountain may be a repository option in the future. A spokesperson for NEI told FierceEnergy that the bill would allow the licensing process to proceed, and that is very important so we can actually find out whether the proposed Yucca Mountain facility can be licensed by the NRC. We believe it can and should be placed in operation. Additionally, the bill would impose stricter discipline to the NRC - requiring them to return to commission-driven rulemaking development instead of delegating decisions to staff, which, according to NEI, would provide greater discipline, transparency, and accountability. The bill passed the House 240-177, but President Obama said he would veto the bill if it reaches his desk without changes. The bill drastically underfunds critical investments that develop American energy sources to build a clean and secure energy future, develop and commercialize the emerging technologies that create high-quality jobs and enhance the national economic competitiveness, and improve resilience against current and ongoing climate impacts that threaten our economy, public health, and natural resources, the administration said in a statement, adding that it would also harm efforts to implement President Obama nuclear strategy and efforts to protect clean water.