NUCLEAR FUELS REPROCESSING COALITION
May 23, 2013
The Honorable
Ron Wyden The
Honorable Lisa Murkowski
Chairman Ranking
MemberCommittee on Energy and Natural Resources
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510
Dear Chairman
Wyden and Ranking Member Murkowski:
Having reviewed
the Nuclear Waste Bill
Section-by-Section Summary of Discussion Draft, April 2013, I was disappointed
to learn that comments are being solicited on [bracketed] provisions only. I believe more of the bill deserves to be
reviewed by all concerned parties and commented on.
I do not favor
the principal officers to the Nuclear Waste Administration being appointed by
the same President who terminated the Yucca Mountain Project. I do not favor a Nuclear Waste Oversight
Board being composed solely of the Deputy Director of OMB, the Chief Engineer
of the Army Corps of Engineers, and the Deputy Secretary of Energy. For that matter, because of the ongoing
political reluctance to resolve our nation’s nuclear waste dilemma, this
proposal is not intended to be successful if implemented.
For over 16
years I have proposed the creation of an autonomous federal agency led by a
Board of Governors comprised of representatives from various public and private
stakeholders, with an Executive Director selected by the Board. The Executive Director will be accountable to
the Board, and will also serve as the Board Chair. This arrangement would promote greater stability
in the executive ranks in order to ensure the organization’s success.
With renewable
energy sources such as wind and solar being too unreliable to satisfy baseload
electrical demands, combined with a significant reduction in the number of
coal-fired power plants, and mounting problems with the distribution and
pricing of natural gas, nuclear power will take on an even greater role in
satisfying our demands for electricity.
If that is so, then we need an efficient organization to manage spent
nuclear fuel, not one that is doomed to failure.
I have enclosed
a copy of the proposed Nuclear Waste Management Agency Act of 2013 that I wrote
so you can compare my bill with the one you are promoting. Also, feel free to follow the nuclear waste
discussions on our group’s site on LinkedIn.
Respectfully,
Clinton
E. Crackel
Clinton E.
Crackel
Co-Founder and Co-Chairman
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