U.S. Senate leaders balked on nuclear waste bill

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

Friday October 29, 7:58 pm Eastern Time

U.S. Senate leaders balked on nuclear waste bill

WASHINGTON, Oct 29 (Reuters) - Senate Republican leaders on 
Friday failed to win support for starting floor debate on a 
controversial nuclear waste storage bill vehemently opposed by the 
Clinton administration as anti-environmental.  

Majority Leader Trent Lott retreated from an attempt to win over 
recalcitrant Nevada Democrats, who vowed to use every 
parliamentary maneuver available to prevent consideration of a bill 
to construct a national nuclear waste repository near Las Vegas 
before the end of next decade.  

``This was our closest call yet for the year,'' Sen. Richard Bryan, a 
Nevada Democrat, said.  

``Every day that the bill is delayed from being considered by the full 
Senate is another day that Nevadans can breathe a little easier,'' 
Bryan said.  

A spokesman for Alaska Republican Frank Murkowski, chairman of 
the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and the bill's 
sponsor, said the legislation might be debated next week.  

Congress is winding down work for the year as it battles with the 
White House over the fiscal 2000 budget. Next Friday may be the 
last day for the 1999 congressional session, making it difficult to 
gauge whether nuclear waste will be considered.  

COMMERCIAL PLANTS PRODUCED WASTE

At issue is legislation aimed at ending years of fighting over what to 
do with thousands of tons of highly radioactive waste currently 
stored at more than 100 commercial nuclear power plants across 
the country.  

The Murkowski measure calls for the construction late in the next 
decade of a permanent nuclear waste repository at Yucca 
Mountain, Nevada, around 90 miles from Las Vegas.  

The Clinton administration opposes the plan, since Murkowski's bill 
authorizes the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, not the U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency, to set a radiation exposure 
standard for the waste repository.  

The White House has promised a veto if the final version of the 
waste bill, which eventually must be reconciled with a pending 
House plan, blocks the environment agency from setting the limits. 
 
The agency in August proposed radiation exposure limits much 
lower than those favored by nuclear regulators. It also wants a 
separate ground water standard.  

The nuclear commission says a ground water standard is 
unnecessary.

Nearly 40,000 tons of waste is now stored at commercial nuclear 
plants. The amount is to double in coming years.

The Department of Energy is exploring whether to confirm the 
Yucca Mountain site as the permanent home of the waste and 
some radioactive material from Defense Department weapon 
programs.  

A departmental recommendation is due by 2001.

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