A new commission was expected to be unveiled today to consider options for dealing with U.S. nuclear waste from power reactors and other sources, the New York Times reported (see GSN, Aug. 24, 2009).
The Obama administration said early last year that it would establish the panel, after declaring that it would not pursue plans for an underground storage facility at Yucca Mountain in Nevada.
The controversial site, long opposed by lawmakers from Nevada, is not expected to be on the menu of options for consideration by the "blue ribbon" commission.
Energy Secretary Steven Chu has talked of ideas that do not involve burying nuclear waste, such as recycling the material at nuclear power reactors for energy production.
The panel is expected to be chaired by former Congressman Lee Hamilton and former national security adviser Brent Scowcroft (Matthew Wald, New York Times, Jan 29).