The Department of Energy should not be in charge of the spent fuel and high-level waste programs any longer.
- The Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future recommended a new agency be formed.
The framework for America’s nuclear waste management program should be fully developed and have the force of law.
- Only then should the government seek consent from a community to host a nuclear waste storage facility.
Nuclear waste is very dangerous and should be stored as safely as possible.
- The safest location is as close to its point of generation as possible because transportation is risky.
Spent nuclear fuel should not be consolidated at an “interim” storage site.
- To minimize risk and cost, spent fuel should be moved only once and to a location that is designed for permanent disposal.
Idaho is a NON-CONSENT STATE.
- Idahoans have already decided they don’t want to receive commercial spent nuclear fuel and the government should respect that decision.
Consent must be free, prior, and informed.
- Informed consent is currently not possible. The government has not provided enough information including how much spent fuel it intends to store or for how long it will be stored in any given place.
It’s not clear whose consent will “count.”
- Transportation and storage of dangerous nuclear waste has local, regional and national impacts that must be considered and can’t be circumvented by one community.
Do not forget to sign up to attend the Department of Energy’s consent-based process for siting nuclear waste meeting, Thursday July 14th 5-9:30 p.m.! Come remind the Department of Energy that Idaho says NO! to nuclear waste.