Bush plan includes transmutation research

Wednesday, May 16, 2001 | 11:06 a.m.

President Bush's energy plan to be unveiled Thursday includes research into transforming high-level nuclear waste into something less harmful, Nevada officials learned on Tuesday.

Included in the energy package to prevent a nationwide power crisis is a proposal to add research into accelerators and reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel in addition to the option of burying the waste at Yucca Mountain, 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas.

The overall strategy is expected to call for more exploration for natural gas and coal, development of some renewable sources and new nuclear power plants. Key to building new nuclear plants is figuring out what to do with the spent fuel from them.

Nevada officials did not receive details on the extent that a proposed Yucca Mountain repository plays in the Bush plan, but they noted that transmutation techologies and reprocessing the spent fuel pellets are mentioned.

"I'm sensing it's a pretty big change," Bob Loux, executive director of the state's Agency for Nuclear Projects said.

Such technologies, if they turn out to be successful, would not eliminate the need for a high-level nuclear waste repository, but would likely greatly reduce the amount and toxicity of the waste that would need to be buried.

Yucca Mountain is the only site being studied to store 77,000 tons of commercial and defense radioactive waste.

Aides of Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., said there are indications the Bush administration doesn't have a sure solution to nuclear waste. "It may not mean Yucca Mountain goes away, but they are admitting they don't have a solution," David Cherry, a Reid spokesman, said.

Gov. Kenny Guinn's chief of staff, Marybel Batjer, was more subdued.

"At least we are going to be a voice at the table," she said.

Guinn was briefed on the president's energy plan on Tuesday, Batjer said. In turn, she briefed Loux, who will accompany her on a lobbying tripo to Washington Thursday.