With the Japanese nuclear crisis still in the headlines, the House Energy and Commerce committee, has announced:
The Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment and the Economy today notified Energy Secretary Steven Chu and Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chairman Gregory Jaczko that it is launching an investigation into the decision-making process to terminate the Yucca Mountain nuclear repository. Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) and Environment and the Economy Chairman John Shimkus (R-IL) are launching the inquiry after reviewing available evidence indicating there was no scientific or technical basis for withdrawing the application. In the wake of the tragic earthquake and tsunami in Japan and uncertainty about the damaged nuclear reactors, Congress is demanding answers about the administration’s decision to halt development of the only permanent U.S. site for spent nuclear fuel.
