An appeals court in Washington, D.C. has ruled in favor of South Carolina – and against Barack Obama’s Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) – in a critical case involving the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste facility.
“This decision reaffirms a fundamental truth: the President is not above the law. His administration cannot pick and choose which laws to follow and which to ignore,” S.C. Attorney General Alan Wilson said in a statement praising the ruling.
The court directed Obama to stop stalling on the licensing for the Nevada facility – which he has been blocking for the last five years.
“Unless and until Congress authoritatively says otherwise or there are no appropriated funds remaining, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission must promptly continue with the legally mandated licensing process,” the ruling states.
American taxpayers have spent $10 billion – including $1.2 billion taken from Palmetto state residents – to build a nuclear waste repository in Yucca Mountain, Nevada. However Obama – citing environmental concerns – sought to scuttle the project, meaning hazardous nuclear waste would remain in South Carolina.
Obama’s efforts to kill the project are viewed as a sop to U.S. Senate leader Harry Reid, who hails from Nevada and has bragged about killing the project in the past.
The U.S. Congress designated Yucca Mountain as America’s repository for spent nuclear fuel in 1987 – a decision that was formalized in 2002. The facility was supposed to open in 2017, but Reid has been blocking its required licensing review for the last three years. In 2009, Obama attempted to zero out funding for the project – but the Democrat-controlled U.S. House rebuked him by a landslide 388-30 vote.
In ruling against the NRC this week, Judge Brett Kavanaugh said the Obama administration “has continued to violate the law governing the Yucca Mountain licensing process.”
Nothing new there … Obama doesn’t care what Congress or the courts say. He’s a dictator. He does as he pleases.
S.C. Attorney General Alan Wilson filed his petition on behalf of the state in July 2011.
“This case represents a clear abuse of power in the pursuit of a political agenda in Washington, D.C.,” Wilson said at the time. “The NRC should do the job demanded of it by Congress, and stop putting the health and safety of South Carolinians at risk for political purposes.”
17 comments
This application was filed under George W Bush’s regime. So it was W’s NRC.
This application was filed under George W Bush’s regime. So it was W’s NRC.
We are going to miss that money. What better use of SC than to store nuclear waste?
We are going to miss that money. What better use of SC than to store nuclear waste?
Wow, I actually agree with Alan Wilson. We are truly in the ‘LAST DAYS’.
Wow, I actually agree with Alan Wilson. We are truly in the ‘LAST DAYS’.
“He’s a dictator”. Please. You need to get back on your meds.
“He’s a dictator”. Please. You need to get back on your meds.
An in your face rebuke of the President’s extra-legal government ruling by fiat.
An in your face rebuke of the President’s extra-legal government ruling by fiat.
SRS is already contaminated for all time.
There is no reason for the NATION to contaminate another site.
I know you “patriots” are more interested in states’ rights than the nation, but…
SRS is already contaminated for all time.
There is no reason for the NATION to contaminate another site.
I know you “patriots” are more interested in states’ rights than the nation, but…
Whoever wrote this article needs to look at the court’s ruling. It essentially only requires the NRC to spend what they have on hand for the Yucca Mountain license review – $11.1 million – and that’s end of it. As the dissenting judge said – that’s only enough to take the documents out of storage and then send them back into storage. Congress hasn’t appropriated any further funding and won’t so when the $11 million is spent we’re back to pursuing new spent fuel storage options. On that issue, if Congress attempts to site a spent fuel storage site at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina there will be a big fight and i predict the public will not consent to such a facility (which could end up being long term).
Whoever wrote this article needs to look at the court’s ruling. It essentially only requires the NRC to spend what they have on hand for the Yucca Mountain license review – $11.1 million – and that’s end of it. As the dissenting judge said – that’s only enough to take the documents out of storage and then send them back into storage. Congress hasn’t appropriated any further funding and won’t so when the $11 million is spent we’re back to pursuing new spent fuel storage options. On that issue, if Congress attempts to site a spent fuel storage site at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina there will be a big fight and i predict the public will not consent to such a facility (which could end up being long term).
Whether the stalemate is due to political opportunism or genuine environmental concern, lay public which is fed with the anti nuclear lobby’s “gospel truth” that there is no scientific solution to high level nuclear waste management will tend to believe that the failure is due to lack of appropriate technology. This perception will continue to hurt nuclear power
Whether the stalemate is due to political opportunism or genuine environmental concern, lay public which is fed with the anti nuclear lobby’s “gospel truth” that there is no scientific solution to high level nuclear waste management will tend to believe that the failure is due to lack of appropriate technology. This perception will continue to hurt nuclear power
South Carolina can keep their spent crap. I suggest they store it with the other waste at Senator Lindsey Graham’s place.