Nevada stakeholders voice input on Yucca Mountain nuclear disposal site

In a hearing held last week on “Federal, State and Local Agreements and Economic Benefits for Spent Nuclear Fuel Disposal,” the Energy and Commerce Committee’s Environment and the Economy Subcommittee heard statements from Nevada stakeholders concerning a repository for spent nuclear fuel at the Yucca Mountain site.

“Nevadans deserve to have honest brokers in their federal government, and they deserve to hear the unbiased, scientific results that all of their hard-earned dollars funded,” U.S. Rep. Cresent Hardy (R-NV) said.

Testimonies at the hearing discussed the impact of the Nuclear Waste Policy Act, the adequacy of funding provided to the state of Nevada and future infrastructure needs connected to the disposal facility.

“No one in Nevada is in favor of a nuclear landfill – neither am I, but, the issue is not going to go away,” U.S. Rep. Mark Amodei (R-NV) said. “If we decide to deal with this, I appreciate the opportunity to have a discussion that says – what are the real impacts, what should our policy be, and in that context, what is the story for Nevada? I’ve got some things for you to think about as policymakers to evaluate a responsible course of conduct with respect to local and state economic impacts, operating oversight, safety policy in the near and long-term, and our policy as a nation regarding the material itself – let’s start there.”