ECA JOINS WITH PARTNERS TO ADVOCATE FOR MODERN NUCLEAR WASTE DISPOSAL STANDARDS

Last week, ECA lent its voice to several other organizations in a letter to Congress to join the call for the development of a new and modern, technology-neutral, generic protection standard that would apply to future high level nuclear waste disposal facilities. This letter to house and senate appropriators follows a prior letter to the chairs and ranking members of the armed services committees.  

 

The revision of health and safety standards are a prerequisite to ensure any future repository for high-level waste and commercial spent nuclear fuel (SNF) is successfully sited. The letter cites studies and reports conducted by the American Nuclear Society, the Blue Ribbon Commission, the Government Accountability Office, and the National Academies which stress that point. 

 

The letter requests that the Committees addressed provide an addition $3 million in the FY 2025 budget to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Radiation and Indoor Air to a modern standard that would bring outdated U.S. requirements for a long-term repository in line with the modern international benchmark. The proposal would initiate a five to ten year long endeavor of developing a new but necessary generic geologic repository standard. The Nuclear Regulatory would need to join as well, modernizing its own regulations to match the EPA standard. 

 

The ECA signed the letter with several partner organizations:

  • American Nuclear Society 

  • Breakthrough Institute 

  • Center for Climate and Energy Solutions 

  • ClearPath Action 

  • Decommissioning Plant Coalition 

  • Good Energy Collective 

  • The Nature Conservancy 

  • Nuclear Innovation Alliance 

  • Nuclear Waste Strategy Coalition 

  • Third Way 

  • U.S. Nuclear Industry Council

ECA is grateful for the Committees’ continued commitment to the health and safety of people and the environment. ECA will continue to provide updates regarding development of a new standard and future developments in repository siting. 

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