releases: https://www.heller.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=2A0F1C28-88A2-470C-BD01-3F9EEEB981C9
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
This data as json
| url | title | date | year | month | party | chamber | state | member_name | bioguide_id | domain | scraper | source | date_source | text | has_text | collected_at | updated_at |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| https://www.heller.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=2A0F1C28-88A2-470C-BD01-3F9EEEB981C9 | The Leader in the Fight to Stop Yucca Mountain, Heller Demands Information on the Proposed Reclassification of High-Level Radioactive Waste | 2018-10-05 | 2018 | 2018-10 | Republican | House | NV | Dean Heller | H001041 | www.heller.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON U.S. Senator Dean Heller (R-NV) is today demanding additional information from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) regarding any potential changes to the classification of high-level radioactive waste so as to ensure that the reclassification will not warrant storage of any type of nuclear waste in the State of Nevada. On Thursday of this week, DOE announced that it had opened a 60-day comment period in an effort to interpret the term high-level radioactive waste, which, at this time, encapsulates all waste that has been created as a byproduct of used nuclear fuel. As Nevada's senior Senator and the person whose leadership has stopped Yucca Mountain from getting the green light, it is important that I ensure your Department's proposed redefinition of high-level nuclear waste is not part of a larger ploy to defeat the will of Congress and the clear and consistent opposition of the State of Nevada, wrote Heller. As someone who has worked repeatedly with the Senate Appropriations Committee, the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Senate leadership to ensure that not a single dollar goes toward funding the failed Yucca Mountain project, I am troubled by any action, such as the reclassification of high-level nuclear waste, that could potentially be undertaken to disrupt or circumvent the restrictions on Yucca Mountain that I marshaled into law. The full text of the letter can be found HERE or below: Dear Secretary Perry: I write today to seek clarity on your October 4, 2018, notice concerning the Department of Energy's proposed interpretation of the statutory term high-level radioactive waste. As someone who has worked repeatedly with the Senate Appropriations Committee, the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Senate leadership to ensure that not a single dollar goes toward funding the failed Yucca Mountain project, I am troubled by any action, such as the reclassification of high-level nuclear waste, that could potentially be undertaken to disrupt or circumvent the restrictions on Yucca Mountain that I marshaled into law. As Nevada's senior Senator and the person whose leadership has stopped Yucca Mountain from getting the green light, it is important that I ensure your Department's proposed redefinition of high-level nuclear waste is not part of a larger ploy to defeat the will of Congress and the clear and consistent opposition of the State of Nevada. As you know, I stand firmly with the State of Nevada in its opposition to the proposed high-level nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain. A state without a single nuclear power plant, like Nevada, should not have to shoulder the entire nation's nuclear waste burden. Instead of pursuing a failed project that has already cost taxpayers billions of dollars, I would encourage you to consider pursuing the only sustainable path forward: a consent-based approach. This is why I introduced the Nuclear Waste Informed Consent Act (S.95), which would require the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to obtain the consent of affected state and local governments before authorizing the construction of a nuclear waste facility. No community, especially not one in Nevada, should be forced to store nuclear waste against its will. I will not let Nevada be overrun by states that want to move the nuclear waste they created out of their backyards and into ours. With that, I respectfully request you answer the following questions: If your proposed interpretation is adopted, how much high-level radioactive waste will be reclassified as non-high-level waste? Where is this likely-to-be-reclassified waste currently located? How will the reclassification of waste affect current and proposed waste streams? Do you intend to bring any of this reclassified waste to Nevada? Regardless of your intent, under existing law, will this change in classification allow new waste to be brought into the State of Nevada? What are the implications of the proposed interpretation on interim storage? Will this proposed interpretation relieve the Department of any of its obligations with respect to Hanford or the cleanup of any other existing environmental hazard? How will this proposal affect Department policy on the commingling of defense and commercial waste? Thank you for your timely attention to this matter. Please respond in writing no later than October 19. If you need further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact Joseph Boddicker of my staff at (202) 224-6244. Sincerely, ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |