LA GRANGE PARK, Ill., April 14, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- While complimenting the efforts of the Obama administration to allocate funds for nuclear energy research and development, the American Nuclear Society (ANS) called for federal leadership in emerging nuclear technologies.
In testimony provided to the U.S. House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, ANS President Donald R. Hoffman noted that, "This year's budget represents a marked improvement over the deficiencies of previous years' requests."
Hoffman outlined several areas of importance to the nuclear energy industry for the FY 15 budget including:
Spent Nuclear Fuel and High-Level Waste
"We urge the Subcommittee to provide bill language allowing Nuclear Waste Fund appropriations to be transferred to the NRC for licensing activities related to Yucca Mountain. In addition, ANS believes that Congress and the administration need to move toward siting one independent spent fuel storage installations (ISFSI) and to expeditiously begin receipt of spent fuel into these ISFSI."
SMR Technical Support Program
"The U.S. is in a full scale race with other nations, such as Russia, China, Korea, and India, to develop and deploy small modular reactor (SMR) technology. SMRs offer perhaps one of the best opportunities for improving the U.S. nuclear export portfolio and create manufacturing jobs in the US."
Department of Energy University Programs
"... Ensuring a continued supply of US nuclear engineers is critical to the federal government's nuclear safety and nonproliferation missions."
The full testimony can be found on the ANS website at: http://www.ans.org/about/officers/docs/ANS-2014-Testimony-to-EWA-Ctee.pdf
Established in 1954, ANS is a professional organization of engineers and scientists devoted to the peaceful applications of nuclear science and technology. Its more than 11,000 members come from diverse technical backgrounds covering the full range of engineering disciplines as well as the physical and biological sciences within the nuclear field. They are advancing the application of nuclear technologies to improve the lives of the world community through national and international enterprise within government, academia, research laboratories and private industry.