US House panel OKs nuke waste storage legislation

["Sandy Perle" <sandyfl@earthlink.net>]

Wednesday April 14, 3:09 pm Eastern Time

US House panel OKs nuke waste storage legislation

WASHINGTON, April 14 (Reuters) - A U.S. House of 
Representatives subcommittee approved legislation on Wednesday 
to establish both a temporary and permanent site in Nevada for 
storing radioactive waste produced at nuclear power plants 
operated by the nations electric utilities.  

The legislation was cleared by the energy and power subcommittee 
and now goes to the full House Commerce Committee, where 
lawmakers are expected to amend the bill further. Similar 
legislation also has been introduced in the Senate.  

President Bill Clinton has threatened to veto the legislation, arguing 
that an interim storage site should not be built and nuclear waste 
shipments should be put on hold until the final decision is made on 
a permanent depository being considered at a mountain site 90 
miles from Las Vegas.  

Under the bill approved by the subcommittee, the Department of 
Energy would begin receiving nuclear waste at the interim site in 
2003 and then at the permanent storage site in 2010.  

The legislation would also take ``off budget'' the $660 million in fees 
paid by electric power customers annually to fund the yet-to-built 
nuclear waste site, and ensure the money is not spent on other 
government programs.  

The bill would also allow the DOE to take title to 30,000 tons of 
spent nuclear fuel now being stored by utilities at 71 locations 
throughout the country.  

In return, the utilities would be barred from suing the government for 
not already storing the waste, as previously required by law.  


Sandy Perle
E-Mail: sandyfl@earthlink.net 
Personal Website: http://www.geocities.com/capecanaveral/1205

"The object of opening the mind, as of opening 
the mouth, is to close it again on something solid"
              - G. K. Chesterton -
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