William Bryan: “I think the presentation made by the Senator from Alaska would maybe give the impression that somehow ratepayers would…”

“I think the presentation made by the Senator from Alaska would maybe give the impression that somehow ratepayers would be victimized under the present system. I think some clarification needs to be made. I think it is important to understand that each of the reactors that he referenced will have a period of time in which they shut down. That is because each reactor is licensed for a fixed period of time. So if one looks at all of the reactors across the country, the last reactor to shut down is in the year 2033. And between now and the year 2033 all of the reactors which have been referenced in the charts which the Senator from Alaska has called to our attention will shut down depending upon the period of their license. So the point I seek to make is that over the next 40 years, or 36 years, each of the reactors will be licensed. I mention that because the responsibility of the nuclear waste fund exists long after the last reactor shuts down. That is to say there will continually be a responsibility until it is estimated the year 2071 to deal with the issue of nuclear waste because as reactors close down fuel will be moved into the ponds or the pools. Then ultimately in theory they will be transported to a permanent repository.”