Back-End Fuel Cycle Working Group

Leadership

Chair: Rod Baltzer, Deep Isolation
‍Vice-Chair: Jimmy Toliuszis, NAC International
‍Senior Fellow: Ed Davis, Pegasus

Overview

While there is a growing recognition that nuclear energy must play a key role in our country’s clean energy future, the impasse over federal nuclear waste management in the past has hampered the development of nuclear energy in the U.S. and has served to undermine the confidence that there will ever be an acceptable solution. Other Nations are moving ahead with high-level waste  (HLW) management programs, for example  Finland, Canda and France.

U.S.NIC believes that concrete action by the U.S. Congress and the Executive Branch agencies will be required to reestablish the basic foundational elements of a comprehensive federal program for used nuclear fuel and HLW disposal and has established a USNIC Backend Working Group of USNIC member companies to help identify and guide recommended actions.

As part of this effort, USNIC Back End Working Group believes that Congress and the Administration should address needed program reforms through the adoption of a comprehensive legislative package that advances the permanent disposal program, develops supportive federal consolidated interim storage capabilities as needed, assures the availability of associated transportation infrastructure, and aligns organizational focus and resources behind the required actions while beginning to consider recycling and advanced reactor technologies that can optimize the nuclear fuel cycle and facilitate nuclear waste management solutions.

Please check out the USNIC Working Group's complete mission statement and recommended action on the full download available under "Publications".