Central States Compact Site Rejected by State of Nebraska

["Skierkowski, Paul" <pskierkowski@ou.edu>]

>     
>  
>     Nebraska Rejects Nuclear Waste 
	    Site License Denied for Five-State Disposal Project 
>     12/22/1998 
>     
>         LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) -- After nearly 12 years of controversy,
> Nebraska has 
>         denied a license application for a proposed low-level
> radioactive waste 
>         site. 
>         The application was rejected because of concerns about
> pollution and a 
>         high water table near the proposed site in Boyd County, state
> officials 
>         said Monday. 
>         They also said US Ecology, the project developer, has not
> demonstrated 
>         it is financially qualified. 
>         The state cited many of the same concerns when it announced in
> August 
>         that it planned to deny the application. 
>         "The only responsible decision for the state to make is to
> deny the 
>         application," said Randy Wood, director of the Nebraska
> Department of 
>         Environmental Quality. 
>         Nebraska was chosen in 1987 to store low-level radioactive
> waste from 
>         the five-state Central Interstate Low-Level Radioactive Waste
> Compact 
>         Commission. The five states were Nebraska, Kansas, Arkansas,
> Louisiana 
>         and Oklahoma. 
>         Gene Crump, the commission's executive director, said he was
> not 
>         surprised by the decision. 
>         "I think Nebraska had made it abundantly clear that it is not
> going to 
>         license it," Crump said. 
>         He said Nebraska is still considered the host state. Under
> Nebraska law, 
>         the compact will have 30 days to file an administrative
> appeal. The 
>         compact also can take the issue to court. 
>         The Nebraska Legislature's Executive Board in August hired a
> Washington, 
>         D.C., law firm to study the ramifications of withdrawing from
> the 
>         five-state compact. 
>         Congress told the states in 1980 to build their own waste
> sites or join 
>         regional groups to dispose of the waste. 
>         Opposition from people living near the site has been vehement.
> 
>         Low-level radioactive waste includes such things as tools and
> clothing 
>         from nuclear power plants, hospitals and research centers. 
>         US Ecology originally applied to license the waste site near
> Butte, 
>         Neb., in 1990. 
> 
> 
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