$580 million OK’d for Yucca

Suzanne Struglinski

Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2003 | 9:37 a.m.

WASHINGTON --- The Senate approved $580 million for the Energy Department's Yucca Mountain project late Tuesday soon after the House approved the final version of energy and water spending bill.

The House approved the spending bill conference report with a 387-86 vote, with Reps. Jim Gibbons and Jon Porter, both R-Nev., as well as Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., voting against the bill.

The Senate approved the energy and water conference report by a unanimous consent hours later, so there was no recorded vote.

Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., who is the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee that create the bill each year, successfully negotiated the $580 million down from the administration's $591 million request.

The House had approved $765 million for the nuclear waste storage project planned for 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas while the Senate approved $425 million.

The Energy Department aims to submit it license application for the project in December 2004. Of the approved $580 million, $525 million will go for license application preparation with the rest going toward transportation and other aspects of the project.