nuclear-news

Petition to USA’s Nuclear Regulatory Commission, on nuclear wastes

 We’ve prepared the brief petition with four key points–including consideration of a permanent end to radioactive waste generation. And you can also add your own comments to this petition. We will get the petition in to the NRC on January 2nd.  Everyone can participate in this action….. Petition at http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5502/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=12372

Sign on to four principles on radioactive waste, including no more generation http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5502/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=12372 December 18, 2012 Earlier this year, a federal court threw out the fundamental underpinning of the NRC’s radioactive waste policy–the agency’s Waste Confidence rule.

In a nutshell, that rule stated that the NRC had confidence that highly radioactive irradiated fuel from nuclear reactors would be stored and managed safely forever. That confidence
gave the NRC the ability to license and re-license nuclear reactors.

The court ruled that the NRC had no basis to make that assertion.

To its credit, the NRC did not challenge the court’s finding, and
instituted a two-year moratorium on new reactor licensing and existing
reactor re-licensing while it rewrites its rule–a process we think
will take a lot longer than two years if it is to include any valid
technical justification. Indeed, we believe that there is no such
technical justification, and that the moratorium should be made
permanent.

In November, the NRC issued a request for comments on the scoping of
an Environmental Impact Statement for its rule revision–in other
words, what should the agency be considering as it rewrites its rule?

It seems, however, that the NRC doesn’t really want many comments.
Despite more than 2,000 of your letters urging extension of the
comment period, they have stuck to an uncommonly short period smack in
the middle of the holiday season and ending January 2. They have
refused to provide an e-mail address for people to send comments to
and instead are using only the cumbersome regulations.gov website.

So we’re making it easier for you. We’ve prepared the brief petition
below with four key points–including consideration of a permanent end
to radioactive waste generation. And you can also add your own
comments to this petition. We will get the petition in to the NRC on
January 2nd.

Notes: You can forward this action page to your friends and post on
social networking sites using the icons on the top right–but please
do so before signing it yourself. Everyone can participate in this
action….. Petition at
http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5502/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=12372

December 19, 2012 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | general