IV 

111TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 1732 

Condemning the unilateral decision of the Chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to begin the closure of the Yucca Mountain license 

application review and calling on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission 

to resume license application review activities immediately pending further direction from Congress. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

NOVEMBER 18, 2010 

Mr. SIMPSON (for himself, Mr. SENSENBRENNER, Mr. WAMP, Mr. HASTINGS

of Washington, Mr. REHBERG, Mr. LEWIS of California, Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN, Mr. HALL of Texas, Mr. CALVERT, Mr. ALEXANDER, Mr. RYAN

of Wisconsin, Mr. BARRETT of South Carolina, Mr. WHITFIELD, and Mr. 

BARTON of Texas) submitted the following resolution; which was referred 

to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 

RESOLUTION 

Condemning the unilateral decision of the Chairman of the 

Nuclear Regulatory Commission to begin the closure of 

the Yucca Mountain license application review and calling 

on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to resume license 

application review activities immediately pending further 

direction from Congress. 

Whereas in 1987 Congress amended the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 by designating Yucca Mountain as the 

only option for a long-term storage site by a vote of 237– 

181 in the House of Representatives and 61–28 in the 

Senate; 


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•HRES 1732 IH 

Whereas Congress reaffirmed Yucca Mountain’s designation 

as the only option for a long-term storage site in 2002 

by a vote of 306–117 in the House of Representatives 

and 60–39 in the Senate; 

Whereas in 2007 the House of Representatives overwhelmingly rejected by a vote of 80–351 an attempt to eliminate funding for the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste disposal program; 

Whereas the Department of Energy has already collected 

$24,000,000,000 in fees from nuclear utilities and their 

ratepayers; 

Whereas the Federal taxpayer has already spent over 

$8,500,000,000 studying Yucca Mountain as the permanent site for nuclear waste storage; 

Whereas the Department of Energy total liability for breach 

of contracts requiring disposal of spent nuclear fuel and 

high-level waste from civilian nuclear reactors could reach 

as much as $50,000,000,000; 

Whereas the Nuclear Regulatory Commission Atomic Safety 

and Licensing Board found that the Department of Energy cannot legally withdraw the Yucca Mountain license 

application; 

Whereas the Fiscal Year 2010 Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act provided 

funding to continue the Yucca Mountain license application; 

Whereas Congress has provided no funding for activities related to the closure of the Yucca Mountain license application; 

Whereas the Fiscal Year 2011 Continuing Resolution provided no funding to undertake new initiatives; 


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•HRES 1732 IH 

Whereas the House Republican members of the Energy and 

Water Appropriations Subcommittee stated in a letter 

dated October 20, 2010, that they expect the Nuclear 

Regulatory Commission to continue its fiscal year 2010 

licensing activities until Congress provides additional direction and funding; 

Whereas 2 Nuclear Regulatory Commission Commissioners 

disagreed with the decision to begin orderly closure of 

Yucca Mountain license application review activities and 

noted that closure is inconsistent with the Continuing 

Resolution; and 

Whereas the Nuclear Regulatory Commission Inspector General has launched an investigation of the Chairman’s unilateral decision to terminate the review of the Yucca 

Mountain application: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) condemns the unilateral decision of the 

3 Chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to 

4 begin the closure of the Yucca Mountain license ap5 plication review; and 

6 (2) calls on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission 

7 to resume license application review activities imme8 diately pending further direction from Congress. 

Æ 


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