After losing a recent court case, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has asked for public comments on how to spend the remaining $11 million in its budget for licensing a nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain.
The Department of Energy project's licensing stalled in 2011 after it lost congressional funding and the Obama administration made clear the repository was not its preferred solution for storing spent fuel. Last month, though, an appeals court sided with the states of Washington and South Carolina, issuing a writ of mandamus compelling the NRC to continue the work required to issue a decision on licensing the facility.
On Friday, the commission put out a call for public comments on making ”productive use of the approximately $11 million the agency has left to resume the licensing process.” It will gather comments until Sept. 30 before deciding how to move forward.
Even with the resumption of licensing work, the project's fate is still firmly in the hands of Congress. According to court documents, licensing for Yucca Mountain would require an estimated $99 million to complete, and the DOE would need additional funding before the site could go into operation.