WASHINGTON, DC – The Subcommittee on Environment and the Economy, chaired by Rep. John Shimkus (R-IL), has scheduled a hearing for Thursday, July 7, 2016, at 10 a.m. in room 2123 of the Rayburn House Office Building. The hearing is entitled, “Federal, State, and Local Agreements and Economic Benefits for Spent Nuclear Fuel Disposal.”

Congress amended the Nuclear Waste Policy Act in 1987 and designated Yucca Mountain, Nevada as the sole site for a deep, geological repository to store high-level radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel. Congress included mechanisms through amendments for collaborative partnerships with state, tribal, and defined affected units of local government in the form of funding for technical support activities and economic benefits for hosting a nuclear disposal facility.

The subcommittee will examine historical issues associated with the economic benefits and administrative costs of a nuclear disposal facility. Additionally, members will look into the potential legislative and administrative options for federal, state, local and tribal partnerships to site, license, operate, and oversee the nuclear waste repository, and possible options for state and local oversight in safety and regulatory issues.

“The federal government must fulfill its legal obligations and resume work on the Yucca Mountain License Application as soon as possible,” said Chairman Shimkus. “Next week’s hearing will provide us an opportunity to hear from Nevada stakeholders and explore the federal, state, and local perspectives and economic benefits of moving forward with the Yucca Mountain project. I’m looking forward to hearing the various perspectives and examining the issues at hand in more detail. Yucca Mountain plays a critical role in our nuclear future.”

The Majority Memorandum, a witness list, and witness testimony will be available here as they are posted.

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