Senate Panel Backs Yucca Mountain

The 23 member Senate Energy and Natural Resource Committee voted to support a resolution that would approve Yucca Mountain as the nation's repository for spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste. 

The resolution was passed by a vote of 13-10.  Ten Republicans and three Democrats voted to move forward on the repository program Nine Democrats and one Republican voted against the project.

Democrats voting for the repository were Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, Bob Graham of Florida and committee chairman Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico.

Chairman Bingaman said he heard nothing in three days of hearings last month that indicated the Department of Energy should not be allowed to continue the nuclear waste project. If approved by Congress, the next step is for the DOE to prepare a license application to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Nevada's senators said they see little chance of attaining 51 votes to kill the nuclear waste project outright despite months of lobbying colleagues and an anti-Yucca campaign in various parts of the country.

The resolution is expected to come to the Senate floor for a final vote by the end of July.