Reid says Yucca money bill is out of his control

Erin Neff

Thursday, Nov. 14, 2002 | 9:47 a.m.

Sen. Harry Reid downplayed a move by congressional negotiators Wednesday to restore $100 million in authorized money to the Yucca Mountain Project.

But the move, which happened before Senate passage Wednesday of a Defense Department bill, indicates to Reid that Yucca proponents are going to try to find as much money as they can for the proposed nuclear waste dump 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas.

"We will continue to work to cut appropriations," Reid, D-Nev., said this morning. "They are looking for money to spend."

Reid said Wednesday's bill, which increased the Defense Department's Yucca budget line from $215 million to $315 million, was out of his control.

"What happened Wednesday was an authorization that I can't do anything about," Reid said. "It doesn't mean anything because it doesn't give anyone the appropriation."

The bulk of 2003 Yucca funding is contained in the Department of Energy budget, which has not yet been approved by Congress.

But some Yucca money is contained within the Defense budget because that department will pay for military nuclear waste stored at Yucca.

This summer Reid had lobbied Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin, D-Mich., to reduce the total amount of Yucca funding contained in the defense bill.

Both the White House and the Department of Energy this week lobbied lawmakers to restore the $100 million authorization in the budget. DOE officials could not be reached this morning.

The total defense bill approved Wednesday authorizes nearly $400 billion for military programs.