While a federal appeals court stayed litigation with the expectation that the NRC would expedite its decision on the controversy, newly released documents show that Jackzo initially voted on the Yucca matter in August, but then withdrew his vote and waited more than two months to resubmit it in late October-ensuring the matter would not be decided before the November 3 elections.
All the other NRC commissioners had voted on the matter by mid-September, according to documents delivered to Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) last week.
In separate responses to questions raised by Inhofe, none of the commissioners revealed how they voted on the Yucca proceeding, in which NRC is reviewing the legality of DOE's motion to scuttle the waste repository by yanking a license application that NRC has been reviewing since 2008.
But the new information will feed speculation that Jaczko has been delaying release of the Yucca vote, possibly to protect his former boss, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.). (
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NRC chairman reveals Yucca vote; still no timeline for decision
Katherine Ling, E&E reporter
Excerpts:
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission chairman's vote is in on whether the Energy Department can withdraw its license application to build a repository at Yucca Mountain, Nev., but there is still no timeline for an NRC decision on the matter.
NRC Chairman Gregory Jaczko today said he first voted in August on whether DOE has authority to withdraw the repository application, then withdrew that vote and "continued active consultation with my colleagues before re-voting on October 29, 2010."
The amount of time it has taken NRC to come to a final decision on DOE's authority to withdraw the license has been criticized by Republicans, the nuclear industry and state regulators. At a minimum, they are asking NRC to finish a review of DOE's application to help inform future repository applications, if not to preserve it as an option as a repository location for future administrations. (
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