House hearing to examine NRC resource allocation, reactor safeguards

The House Subcommittee on Energy and Power, chaired by U.S. Rep. Ed Whitfield (R-KY), and the Subcommittee on Environment and the Economy, chaired by U.S. Rep. John Shimkus (R-IL), have scheduled a joint hearing at 10 a.m. EDT on Wednesday in Room 2123 at the Rayburn House Office Building.

The hearing, titled “Oversight of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission," will examine NRC's long-term budget development and resource planning. Additionally, members will examine the proposed rulemaking associated with the Near Term Task Force (NTTF), which was established in response to the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant accident in Japan. The NTTF was tasked with evaluating the incident and developing recommendations for reactors throughout the U.S. Ongoing activities related to storage, transportation and disposal of high-level nuclear waste will be examined as well.

“The NRC plays a critical role in protecting public health, safety and the environment, and we at the committee take our oversight responsibility seriously. We look forward to hearing from the four NRC commissioners next week on issues including commission rule making, staffing projections and budgetary needs. At the top of the list are the ongoing issues regarding the management and disposal of spent nuclear fuel, especially as it relates to Yucca Mountain,” Whitfield and Shimkus said in a statement.