Obama’s Transparency on Science Doesn’t Include Nuclear

Nicolas Loris / June 08, 2011

Today the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology released a comprehensive report that details the Obama Administration’s attempt to prematurely and unnecessarily shut down the used nuclear fuel repository at Yucca Mountain. The report demonstrates that issues surrounding opening Yucca Mountain are purely political and not one bit scientific and technical.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the report is the information revealed from Volume III of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s Safety Evaluation Report (SER), which was obtained as a result of a Freedom of Information Act request from The Heritage Foundation. The committee’s press release highlights that:

SER Volume III demonstrates in excruciating detail the level of technical support among NRC and Department of Energy (DOE) experts in favor of the site’s advancement. Overall, the NRC staff review concluded that DOE’s Yucca Mountain License Application complies with applicable NRC safety requirements necessary for the site to proceed to licensing for construction. (more…)