With the Obama Administration’s decision to defund the Yucca Mountain nuclear- waste repository, many industry observers wonder what the next step for permanent disposal of spent nuclear fuel will be. Many are keeping a watchful eye on the president’s Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future, which Obama established in January 2010 to develop recommendations to guide future policies for nuclear waste.
The 15-member commission or its subcommittees have met several times this year, and the full commission plans to meet on Nov. 15 in Washington, D.C. The group is expected to release a preliminary report in spring 2011.