Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson sent a letter to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) expressing his concern over their decision to shut down the Yucca Mountain license application. Along with the other Republican members of the House Energy and Water Subcommittee on Appropriations, which has jurisdiction over funding for the NRC as well as the Yucca Mountain project, Simpson questioned the justification for this action as well as its appropriateness in an election year.

“The NRC has long maintained a reputation as an independent, apolitical regulatory and oversight body,” said Simpson. “It is unthinkable that its leadership would choose to play partisan politics by shutting down the Yucca Mountain license application in an effort to help one candidate in his election.”

NRC Chairman Gregory Jaczko has been quoted as saying that he is moving the agency to close down licensing activities based on the guidance of the Administration’s FY2011 proposed budget. The Agency is currently operating under a temporary continuing resolution because its final budget was not approved before the 2011 fiscal year started on October 1st. 

In their letter, Republican members of the Subcommittee noted that the NRC should continue to follow FY2010 guidance until a final FY2011 budget has been approved.  They also questioned whether this is a responsible decision, given that the NRC’s Atomic Safety and Licensing Board has rejected the Department of Energy’s motion to withdraw the application. The NRC has not yet weighed in on this decision.

“We are concerned that your actions call into question whether the NRC, under your leadership, will be able to maintain its historical role as an independent regulatory and oversight body,” the letter to Jaczko wrote. “If you continue to shut down the Yucca Mountain license application, which can only be seen as a partisan act, we will reconsider the flexibilities which the NRC has long enjoyed due to its reputation as an independent body,” the letter stated later.