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By Senator Pete Domenici, (R-NM), with Sens. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), Frank Murkowski (R-AK), Mary Landrieu ( D-LA ), Larry Craig ( R-ID ), Jon Kyl (R-AZ), Michael Crapo (R-ID), Bob Graham (D, FL), James Inhofe (R-OK), George Vucanovich (R-OH), Chuck Hagel (R-NE), & Fred Thompson (R-TN).
SENATOR DOMENICI ENVISIONS AN UNFETTERED NUCLEAR POWER PROGRAM
The bill claims that nuclear power is "essentially" emissions-free by ignoring the significant carbon emissions from uranium mining, milling, enrichment and nuclear fuel fabrication. Atomic power generates both high-level and low-level nuclear wastes that have been historically mismanaged. Reactor operation results in routine releases of long-lived and bioaccumulating radioactivity to the air and water along with chemical contaminants and destructive thermal pollution. Accidental releases of radiation are an increasing risk with reduced regulations, human error and age-related deterioration of reactor safety systems. Eventually a mountain of contaminated materials from the reactor parts to the radioactive soil beneath closed reactors must be managed as toxic nuclear waste.
TITLE I : SUPPORTS THE CONTINUED AND EXPANDED USE OF NUCLEAR POWER
Extends nuclear accident indemnification authority and increases liability caps
Amends the Price-Anderson Act by extending the limited liability for the nuclear power industry to 2012 and raising the liability cap from $7 billion to $10 billion. Studies performed for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) place property damage costs as high $314 billion (1982 dollars).
Authorizes $124 million (FY 2002) for nuclear power promotion and infrastructure development
The bill would provide funds to the Nuclear Energy Research Initiative ($60 million), The Nuclear Energy Plant Optimization Program ($15 million), and the Nuclear Energy Technology Program ($15 million) to subsidize power increases at existing reactors, increase domestic uranium mining and enrichment, and $34 million to stem the closure of university nuclear engineering programs due to dwindling enrollments.
Authorizes $54 million (FY 2002-2004) for uranium mining, conversion, and enrichment
The DOE would develop a $30 million (FY 2002-2004) cost share with the domestic uranium industry to further develop leaching mining technologies with minimal spending for environmental restoration. DOE would further subsidize low-enriched uranium conversion services ($24 million, FY 2002-2004).
Requires NRC to report to Congress on progress towards fast tracking new designs
The NRC would submit a report on progress toward expediting the licensing of new reactor designs.
TITLE II: SPEEDS THE CONSTRUCTION OF NEW NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS
Authorizes $3 million (FY 2002) for the Nuclear Power Plant Completion Initiative
The DOE would seek proposals for the completion of unfinished U.S. reactors and provide a list of potential sites for federal loan guarantees to finish the abandoned reactors by December 31, 2004.
Authorizes $15 million (FY 2002-2003) to speed the Early Site Permit Program
The DOE would encourage private sector applications for new reactor sites by December 31, 2003.
Authorizes $50 million (FY 2002) to study and develop Generation IV nuclear reactors
The DOE would evaluate new advanced reactor designs for their competitiveness and report to Congress by December 31, 2002 for selection of a conceptual design by September 30, 2004.
Authorizes $25 million (FY 2002) for resolution of new reactor licensing issues
The NRC would study and identify designs for new reactor systems by incorporating modeling, experiments, and risk-informed licensing, that could also be used with current reactor designs.
TITLE III: ASSURES A "LEVEL" PLAYING FIELD FOR NUCLEAR POWER
Provides for nuclear power as an "environmentally-preferable purchasing program"
Establishes that no federal procurement policy can discriminate against or exclude nuclear power from purchasing decisions; nuclear power "shall be considered an environmentally preferable product."
Provides for an increase in nuclear power generation as an "emissions-free" electricity source
Nuclear power is defined as emissions-free under the Clean Air Act and is allowed to receive emissions trading credits.
Prohibits discrimination against atomic power in international development programs
The government would prohibit funds to support domestic or international organizations, such as the World Bank, engaged in financing, development or underwriting of electricity production if they fail to include "emission-free" nuclear as an eligible option.
TITLE IV: RE-EVALUATES NUCLEAR WASTE POLICY
Re-evaluates high-level radioactive waste as a subject for permanent burial
The DOE Office of Spent Fuel Research is established to research, develop and demonstrate technologies for the treatment, "recycling" (read, reprocessing), and disposal of irradiated fuel.
Authorizes $10 million (FY 2002) for development of an irradiated fuel "recycling" program
The DOE would research and develop a "cost-effective" reprocessing research plan by 2015.
TITLE V: ESTABLISHES THE NATIONAL ACCELERATOR SITE
Authorizes $160 million (FY 2002-2003) for the development of the advanced accelerator
The DOE is provided $40 million (FY 2002- 2003) to develop the advanced accelerator program with a mission to combine accelerator production of tritium and the transmutation of irradiated nuclear fuel. A transmutation program could cost over $300 billion, according to DOE, take many decades to implement and would raise serious international nuclear weapons proliferation concerns.
TITLE VI: FURTHER STREAMLINES NRC OVERSIGHT
Eliminates the exclusion of foreign ownership of U.S. reactors
The Act would amend the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 by deleting the prohibition of a foreign government or entity from owning and operating U.S. reactors.
Eliminates the NRC antitrust review and enforcement of nuclear utilities
The NRC would no longer have the statutory authority to regulate nuclear utility antitrust provisions.
Provides for gift acceptance authority and criteria for the NRC employees
NRC commissioners and employees would be able to "accept, hold, utilize, and administer gifts of real and personal property for the purpose of aiding or facilitating the work of the Commission."
Simplifies the NRC public hearing procedures
The NRC would expand its elimination of meaningful democratic public participation by replacing the formal adjudicatory hearing process (the right to discovery and cross-examination) with an informal proceeding of pleadings on safety-related amendments and exemption requests for existing operating licenses, license extensions and transfers.
For more information, contact: Paul Gunter, Nuclear Information and Resource Service, 1424 16th Street NW, #404, Washington, DC 20036; 202.328.0002; f: 202.462.2183; nirsnet@nirs.org; www.nirs.org
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