Sen. Murkowski: Bipartisan Nuclear Bill Represents Real Progress
Not willing to wait another 30-plus years to resolve the back end of the nuclear fuel cycle
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today spoke on the merits of the Nuclear Waste Administration Act of 2013 (S. 1240) during a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing on the bill. Murkowski, along with Sens. Wyden (D-Ore.), Feinstein (D-Calif.), and Alexander (R-Tenn.) introduced the bipartisan legislation last month to address the back end of the nuclear energy fuel cycle.
(Click to play video of Murkowski’s opening statement.)
“We know there are certain segments that aren’t universally supported, and some areas that were not addressed to everyone’s satisfaction. What we have tried to do, however, is put forward legislation that can get us from where we are today on the back-end of the nuclear fuel cycle – namely a process that has mastered the art of going nowhere slowly – to a place where actual progress has been made,” Murkowski said of the bipartisan bill.
The Nuclear Waste Administration Act establishes an independent agency to address the nation’s stockpile of used nuclear fuel by advancing both interim and permanent storage facilities.
“We have essentially written in a 10-year window for this new entity to show real results. It is an aggressive timeline, but it is doable and I believe it sends an important message to the American people, to industry, and to all who follow nuclear issues. We are not willing to wait another 30-plus years to resolve the back end of the nuclear fuel cycle.”
Murkowski is the senior senator for Alaska and the ranking Republican on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. Video of the full hearing is available on the committee’s website.
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