Senate committee delays vote on nuclear storage

Mark D. Preston

Thursday, May 20, 1999 | 10:39 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- A Senate committee chairman agreed Wednesday to wait two more weeks before acting on legislation that would make the Nevada Test Site the temporary dumping ground for the nation's nuclear waste.

Sen. Frank Murkowski, R-Alaska, who heads the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, said he will wait until after Memorial Day before holding a vote on the bill that President Clinton has threatened to veto.

Murkowski delayed the committee vote Wednesday to give Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., more time to offer different alternatives to deal with the nation's nuclear waste.

While Murkowski described Bingaman's efforts as "genuine," the Alaska Republican also warned that he will not wait much more than two weeks before addressing the issue.

"We are willing to give some time to this process," Murkowski said. "But we can't wait forever."

Murkowski's legislation calls for the Department of Energy to assume responsibility for used nuclear fuel stored at 72 commercial plants. The used fuel would be sent to the Nevada Test Site in 2003 while the DOE determines whether Yucca Mountain, 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas, is a suitable permanent repository. If chosen, Yucca Mountain would begin accepting waste no earlier than 2010.

Sen. Richard Bryan, D-Nev., said he thinks the "delay is encouraging" and he is "hopeful" committee members are giving second thoughts to other waste disposal alternatives such as on-site storage.