The federal appeals court's Aug. 13 ruling was crystal clear. It said the Nuclear Regulatory Commission violated the law when it halted its review of a Dept. of Energy application for an underground nuclear-waste disposal site in Nevada. The court also directed NRC to reopen its evaluation.
The next steps in the proposed Yucca Mountain repository's 30-year saga are far from certain. NRC is reviewing the decision, spokesman David McIntyre said. The directive takes effect on Sept. 3, unless there is further action by the court. DOE is studying the ruling "and will respond appropriately to whatever steps the NRC takes in response to the decision," said spokeswoman Niketa Kumar.