Presidential candidates duck nuke waste issue

Benjamin Grove

Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2000 | 10:25 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- Most of the candidates for president have ducked the issue of burying the nation's nuclear waste in Nevada, according to a survey released Tuesday.

Only Green Party candidate Joel Kovel said he outright opposed burying nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain, 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas. He responded with a simple "no" to the question of whether he supported a high-level waste storage facility at Yucca.

Only Republican Alan Keyes responded with a "yes."

The survey of candidates was issued by the Washington-based Sustainable Energy Coalition, which represents mostly environmental groups.

Vice President Al Gore, who previously has voiced opposition to storing nuclear waste in Nevada, said in the survey that he still does not support the plan, at least for now. He said the nuclear waste debate should be "based on science, not politics."

"Until the scientific analysis of the Yucca Mountain site is completed, it is premature to make a determination about its use as a disposal site," Gore said. "For that reason, I have strongly supported the administration's vigorous and successful fight against legislation that would move waste to the Yucca Mountain site before the scientific evaluation is complete."

Republicans Gary Bauer, George Bush, Orin Hatch, John McCain and Democrat Bill Bradley, Reform Party candidate Pat Buchanan and Donald Trump were listed with "no stated opinion."

Republican Steve Forbes responded with "undecided pending further study."

Natural Law Party candidate John Hagelin said he supported "funding for the immediate containment of spillage from our antiquated, inevitably dangerous storage facilities, followed by systematic cleanup of these facilities and long-term research on technologies for stabilization and neutralization of long-lasting nuclear wastes."