RENO, Nev. (AP) — Gov. Steve Sisolak and Nevada members of Congress are vowing to fight to block President Donald Trump's request to restart the federal licensing process to build a nuclear waste dump in the state.
Trump included a request for $116 million Monday for the Yucca Mountain repository in his proposed budget for the Department of Energy next year.
Sisolak said it's another example of the U.S. government "ignoring the will of Nevadans by attempting to shove even more unwanted toxic material down our throats."
In addition to opposing the waste repository near Las Vegas, the state is involved in a legal battled aimed at blocking DOE for shipping weapons-grade plutonium to a site near Yucca Mountain.
Democratic Reps. Dina Titus and Steven Horsford also vowed to fight any attempt to build the dump.</p>
Gov. Steve Sisolak's statement:
“President Trump’s request to restart the process for turning Yucca Mountain into a nuclear waste dump is yet another example of the federal government ignoring the will of Nevadans by attempting to shove even more unwanted toxic material down our throats. My administration will continue to exercise all options available to ensure this deeply unpopular project never sees the light of day. Our congressional delegation has my full support in fighting this latest attempt by the federal government to dump nuclear waste in Nevadans’ backyards without our consent.”
Representative Dina Titus has issued the following response:
“By proposing that even more money be wasted on Yucca Mountain, Donald Trump has broken the promise he made to Nevadans during his recent visit to Elko,” said Congresswoman Titus (NV-1). “Every dollar this Administration proposes to put towards the revitalization of Yucca Mountain is another dollar down a rat hole because this unsafe, unsound project should never see the light of day. I will work with Governor Sisolak and my colleagues in the Nevada delegation to prevent the federal government from shoving this nuclear power company boondoggle down our throat.”
