|
|||||
|
|||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||
 |
 |
    |
|
|
|||
 |
|
||
|
|||
|
|
|
|
||||||||
|
Nuclear Waste: Tough Odds for Yucca Mountain Opponents, Senate Survey Says By Jeff Haws A CongressDaily survey indicates that more than one-third of the U.S. Senate already supports establishing a nuclear waste repository at the Yucca Mountain site in Nevada, confronting opponents of the site with steep odds this summer (see GSN, March 14). Nonetheless, Nevada state officials and the Nevada congressional delegation have mobilized to sway opinion their way, hiring prominent lobbyists from both parties to help campaign against President George W. Bush’s Feb. 15 recommendation that the site be built (see GSN, Feb. 19). Before that happens, though, Bush’s recommendation has placed the matter before Nevada Republican Governor Kenny Guinn, who “will take until [the deadline of] April 16” to veto the president’s decision, said a spokesman for the governor. After Guinn’s expected veto, the issue returns to Washington, where the House and Senate have 90 legislative days in which to override the governor’s veto by a simple majority up-or-down vote. CongressDaily surveyed senators about the project over the past four weeks. Of 71 senators who responded, 36 have made a solid decision to vote against Guinn. Another 14 oppose the site, while 21 said they are undecided. A spokesman for Senate Majority Whip Harry Reid (D-Nev.), however, said foes are confident they will get the votes they need. “We will veto” the president’s decision on Yucca, Reid’s spokesman said. “This is one of the most massive decisions in the history of Congress. If it passes, it will make the pyramids on Giza plateau look like a short-term project.” As part of the effort to protect Guinn’s upcoming veto, Reid and fellow Nevada Senator John Ensign, a Republican, interviewed and selected lobbyists Ken Duberstein, who was chief of staff under former President Ronald Reagan, and John Podesta, who was chief of staff under former President Bill Clinton, to represent Nevadans. Reid’s spokesman said the move “helps tremendously” in the effort to convince senators that the Yucca designation is the wrong choice.
| ||||||||||
Back to top
