Senator Ricketts Questions Nominees on Tribal Water Access and Nuclear Power

Tribal Water Access and EPA Collaboration

• 💧 Santi Sue Tribe faces ongoing water quality challenges, with a 2019 EPA no-drink order due to high manganese levels, still requiring the tribe to truck in potable water.
• 🤝 EPA Region 7 is collaborating with the tribe on water testing, but long-term solutions are still needed.
• 🔑 Usha-Maria Turner, EPA Assistant Administrator Nominee, committed to prioritizing tribal access to clean water, working with the tribe, and ensuring consultation processes are followed.
• 🛠️ Turner, an engineer by training, aims to identify and resolve roadblocks to ensure adequate and accessible drinking water for tribal communities.

Nuclear Power and Energy Security

• ⚡ Nebraska is proud of its nuclear power, highlighting the Cooper Nuclear Station's capacity to power hundreds of thousands of homes.
• 🚀 Nuclear energy is considered a vital part of America's all-the-above energy future, supported by legislation like the bipartisan Advance Act.
• 📈 President Trump's executive orders aim to bolster domestic energy development and accelerate regulatory timelines for nuclear technology licensing.

Streamlining Nuclear Licensing Processes

• ⚙️ David Wright, NRC Commissioner Nominee, emphasized the necessity of a whole-of-government approach for energy security and independence.
• 💡 The Advance Act is helping the NRC become more efficient and focus on timeliness goals for advanced reactors and microreactors.
• 🌟 The NRC is seeing significant activity in advanced reactor development, with multiple vendors engaged and some, like NuScale, already receiving design certification.
• 🌍 International cooperation, including with Canada and the UK, is underway to share data and support licensing applications while maintaining sovereign review rights.

Future Legislative Needs for NRC

• ⚖️ Wright noted that while the NRC has made internal efficiencies, certain actions like eliminating mandatory hearings would require future legislation.
• 📞 The NRC plans to stay in communication with Congress and will approach them if further support or legislative changes are deemed necessary.