Energy Secretary clarifies comments after suggesting nuclear waste storage at Nevada National Security Site
Submitted by editor on Tue, 06/20/2017 - 12:39pm
UPDATE WEDNESDAY: Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval issued the following statement Wednesday in response to United States Secretary of Energy Rick Perry’s opening remarks in front of the Senate Energy & Water Subcommittee.
“I appreciate Secretary Perry clarifying his comments and agree the issue of nuclear waste is one that has vexed the nation. I encourage the Secretary to pursue consent-based interim storage solutions, and to review Senate legislation, co-authored by Senator Heller, that lays out a politically and scientifically viable plan for a long-term, consent-based, permanent solution.”
A copy of the transcript of Secretary Perry’s remarks can be found below:
“I want to add some clarity to a statement I made yesterday in front of the House if I could, just a short clarification of remarks I made yesterday about nuclear waste and interim storage. And I want to be crystal clear with this committee and with others that while there are a number of options that we’ve talked about on how to deal with these issues, no decisions have been made at this time with respect to the timing or location, for that matter, of waste storage.
"There are no plans, I think it is appropriate to say, there are no plans for interim storage at this particular time for interim storage in New Mexico, Nevada or Texas or any other site. Any such plans would obviously require coordination with [Congress], with the federal, state and local officials. The waste issue is a dilemma that we have a responsibility to address and yesterday what I was doing was attempting to convey my interest in working with Congress to bring resolution to this issue and that’s all I was saying. My point is, let’s work together and find solutions to the challenges that vex us and have been in front of us for a while and I’m eternally optimistic, sir, that we can do that in a way that serves this great country.”
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Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval said U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry's suggestion Tuesday to store high-level nuclear waste in the interim at the Nevada National Security Site in Nye County, 65 miles northwest of Las Vegas is an idea that is iill-conceived, irresponsible and a federal overreach.
Sandoval issued a sharp response to Perry’s remarks during a House Appropriations Energy and Water Subcommittee budget hearing.
During the hearing, Secretary Perry doubled-down on his desire to make Nevada the nation’s nuclear dumping ground by suggesting he would like to consider interim storage of high-level nuclear waste at the Nevada National Security Site in the short term.
“Today’s comments by Secretary Perry suggesting he would consider storage of high-level nuclear waste at the Nevada National Security Site come as a complete blindside and I view this as a total disregard and failure to honor the historical process. The idea of storing high-level nuclear waste at the National Security Site is ill-conceived, irresponsible, and likely illegal,” said Governor Brian Sandoval. “This is a prime example of federal overreach and Nevada will pursue every legal option at our disposal. Today, I’ve asked the Nevada Attorney General to review this misguided proposal and identify legal avenues to stop it. This is further than even the most fervent pro-Yucca advocates have gone and like Yucca Mountain, this idea is a non-starter. Let me be clear, no part of Nevada will be home to the world’s most toxic waste and we will fight every effort that puts our citizens at risk.”
The Secretary’s remarks can be found here by using the following link beginning at the 35 minute mark.
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