NEWS RELEASE

Senate OKs Edward Sproat to Head DOE Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management

WASHINGTON—The U.S. Senate today confirmed Edward Sproat as director of the Department of Energy’s Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management. The following is a statement from Marvin Fertel, the Nuclear Energy Institute’s senior vice president and chief nuclear officer.

“The nuclear energy industry congratulates Ward Sproat on his confirmation and applauds the Senate for acting on his nomination. Mr. Sproat joins the Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management at an important time, with the Department of Energy preparing to submit a Yucca Mountain license application to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and continue the strides that the program has made during the Bush Administration.

“The Department of Energy must begin to live up to its legal obligation to begin managing used nuclear fuel amassing at commercial reactor sites across the country. Given his nuclear project managerial experience, Mr. Sproat is the right person to advance the Department of Energy’s Yucca Mountain project. The industry urges Mr. Sproat to see to it that the federal government lives up to its obligation to move used fuel from nuclear power plant sites as soon as possible.”