Editorial: Another end-around

Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2003 | 9:06 a.m.

Illinois Reps. John Shimkus, a Republican, and Bobby Rush, a Democrat, have introduced legislation that would require at least $725 million be spent every year on the Yucca Mountain project. The nuclear power industry, which backs the bill, obviously is upset that Nevada Sen. Harry Reid, the ranking Democrat on the appropriations subcommittee that oversees Yucca Mountain, in the past has been able to cut the program's budget.

In previous sessions, the industry has sought to significantly reduce budgetary oversight of the project's budget by trying to get Congress to take the Yucca Mountain project's budget completely out of the appropriations process. Congress, however, has sensibly refused to buy into the nuclear power industry's arguments for less oversight.

The federal government's proposal to ship cross-country 77,000 tons of high-level nuclear waste and bury it in Nevada deserves more accountability, not less. Congress should reject the establishment of an unnecessary floor to fund the Yucca Mountain project.

archive