(WASHINGTON,
D.C.) –Today, Congressman Doc Hastings (R-WA) and Senator Patty Murray
(D-WA) sent a bipartisan, bicameral letter to Department of Energy (DOE)
Secretary Steven Chu urging the Administration to immediately halt all actions
to dismantle operations at Yucca Mountain at least until legal action regarding
the withdrawal of the application is resolved. Click here
to read a copy of the letter signed by 91 Members of Congress.
“We
are deeply disappointed that the Department has overstepped its bounds and has
ignored congressional intent without peer review or proper scientific
documentation in its actions regarding Yucca Mountain,” the lawmakers noted
in the letter.
In
1987, Congress designated Yucca Mountain as the nation’s geological repository
for spent nuclear fuel and high level defense waste. Congress has voted to
reaffirm this decision several times.
On
March 3, 2010, DOE filed a motion with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to
withdraw its license application for Yucca Mountain. On June 29, 2010,
the NRC’s Atomic Safety and Licensing Board denied DOE’s motion, stating that
DOE did not have the authority to unilaterally act to terminate its license
application.
Earlier
this year, the State of Washington, the State of South Carolina, and Tri-Cities
community leaders filed suit in the D.C. Circuit Court challenging DOE’s
ability to withdraw the Yucca Mountain license application. On June 15,
2010 the Court issued an order setting an expedited schedule for oral
arguments, to be held September 23rd, demonstrating a clear desire
to hear the merits of the case.
In
the letter the lawmakers asked that DOE “recognize the letter and spirit of the
law, honor the timeline set by the court and halt all efforts to reprogram
funds and terminate contracts located at Yucca Mountain.”
The
letter was signed by the following Members of Congress:
Senator
Patty Murray (D-WA)
Representative
Doc Hastings (R-WA) 4th
Senator
Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)
Senator
Jim DeMint (R-SC)
Senator
Lamar Alexander (R-KY)
Senator
John McCain (R-AZ)
Senator
James Inhofe (R-OK)
Senator
John Cornyn (R-TX)
Senator
Kay Bailey Hutchinson (R-TX)
Senator
Jim Bunning (R-KY)
Senator
Mary Landrieu (D-LA)
Senator
Johnny Isakson (R-GA)
Senator
Olympia Snowe (R-ME)
Senator
Lindsey Graham (R-SC)
Senator
Christopher Bond (R-MO)
Senator
Jeff Sessions (R-AL)
Senator
George LeMieux (R-FL)
Senator
Michael Enzi (R-WY)
Senator
Saxby Chambliss (R-GA)
Senator
James Risch (R-ID)
Senator
Thad Cochran (R-MS)
Senator
Mike Crapo (R-ID)
Senator
John Barrasso (R-WY)
Senator
Susan Collins (R-ME)
Senator
Sam Brownback (R-KS)
Representative
Norm Dicks (D-WA) 6th
Representative
John M. Jr. Spratt (D-SC) 5th
Representative
James Clyburn (D-SC) 6th
Representative
Eric Cantor (R-VA) 7th
Representative
John Dingell (D-MI) 15th
Representative
Joe Barton (R-TX)- 6th
Representative
Lincoln Davis (D-GA) 4th
Representative
Fred Upton (R-MI) 6th
Representative
Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ) 11th
Representative
Mike Pence (R-IN) 6th
Representative
Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) 5th
Representative
David G. Reichert (R-WA) 8th
Representative
Jay Inslee (D-WA) 1st
Representative
Rick Larsen (D-WA) 2nd
Representative
Gresham Barrett (R-SC) 3rd
Representative
Joe Wilson (R-SC) 2nd
Representative
Henry Brown (R-SC) 1st
Representative
Bob Inglis (R-SC) 4th
Representative
Bart Stupak (D-MI) 1st
Representative
Paul Broun (R-GA) 10th
Representative
Ginny Brown-Waite (R-FL) 13th
Representative
Parker Griffith (R-AL) 5th
Representative
Joseph R. Pitts (R-PA) 16th
Representative
Steve Scalise (R-LA) 1st
Representative
John Shadegg (R-AZ) 3rd
Representative
Pete Olson (R-TX) 22nd
Representative
John Linder (R-GA) 7th
Representative
Mark Steven Kirk (R-IL) 10th
Representative
Judy Biggert (R-IL) – 13th
Representative
John Kline (R-MN) 2nd
Representative
Zach Wamp (R-TN) 3rd
Representative
Thomas Rooney (R-FL) 16th
Representative
Roscoe Bartlett (R-MD)- 6th
Representative
Lynn Jenkins (R-KS) 2nd
Representative
Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-MO) 9th
Representative
Michael K. Simpson (R-ID) 2nd
Representative
Robert Andrews (D-NJ) -1st
Representative
Brett Guthrie (R-KY) 2nd
Representative
Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) 6th
Representative
Cliff Stearns (R-FL) 6th
Representative
John Sullivan (R-OK) 1st
Representative
Paul E. Kanjorski (D-PA) 11th
Representative
Ken Calvert (R-CA) 44th
Representative
John Duncan (R-TN) 2nd
Representative
Donald A. Manzullo (R-IL) 16th
Representative
Edolphus Towns (D-NY) 10th
Representative
Pete Sessions (R-TX) 32nd
Representative
Jo Bonner (R-AL) 1st
Representative
Lee Terry (R-NE) 3rd
Representative
Darrell E. Issa (R-CA) 49th
Representative
Greg Walden (R-OR) 2nd
Representative
Jack Kingston (R-GA) 1st
Representative
Steven C LaTourette (R-OH) 14th
Representative
Ralph Hall (R-TX) 4th
Representative
Harold Rogers (R-KY) 5th
Representative
Joe Courtney (D-CT) 2nd
Representative
Frank A. LoBiondo (R-NJ) 2nd
Representative
Denny Rehberg (R-MT)
Representative
F. James Jr. Sensenbrenner (R-WI) 5th
Representative
John Shimkus (R-IL) 19th
Representative
Michele Bachmann (R-MN) 6th
Representative
Mike Rogers (R-MI) 8th
Representative
Erik Paulsen (R-MN) 3rd
Representative
Sue Wilkins Myrick (R-NC) 9th
Representative
Frank Wolf (R-VA) 10th
Representative
Ed Whitfield (R-KY) 1st
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