Domenici urges support for Yucca

Benjamin Grove

Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2005 | 10:42 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- The Senate's top advocate for Yucca Mountain today urged nuclear energy industry leaders to not waver in their support of the proposed nuclear waste repository.

Domenici told about 200 industry insiders gathered for a conference here that "we don't want the industry to stop being positive" about Yucca. "Despite difficulties and concerns about whether it ultimately will work, we still have to move step by step toward Yucca Mountain," Domenici said.

Domenici's comments came as some industry insiders have reportedly distanced themselves subtly from a long-standing industry and Energy Department contention that the future construction of new U.S. nuclear power plants was tied in part to the construction of Yucca Mountain. Nuclear utilities and investors want certainty that the government has a permanent strategy for dealing with the waste piling up at the nation's nuclear reactors, industry and government leaders have said.

Moving forward with Yucca Mountain "will remove what has been a major impediment to the construction of new nuclear plants in this country," outgoing Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham said last month.

But legal and budgetary setbacks have slowed Yucca for years, and a federal court ruling last year that threw out a radiation standard for Yucca shrouded the project in more uncertainty.

The setback came at a time when the industry is enjoying renewed interest in nuclear power by the Bush administration and Congress. That has spurred specific industry plans for construction of a new generation of nuclear plants.

Industry officials seeking to capitalize on the momentum now say they can forge ahead with plans for new plants despite uncertainties with Yucca.

"As long as people perceive that there is progress on Yucca Mountain, there is definite interest and consideration for new plants," said Mitch Singer, spokesman for the Nuclear Energy Institute, the leading industry lobby group.

Other industry leaders have said there are other waste storage options as the Yucca opening date slips further into the future, including an as-yet unlicensed private temporary waste storage site in Utah.

Industry leaders have not backed off their stance that Yucca is important to the industry's future, Singer said.

But Yucca is far from being a major hurdle to the construction of new plants, he said. Industry leaders are now more focused on issues like market factors and government tax incentives, he said.

After his speech, Domenici said he had not given the industry a pep talk on Yucca to bolster their vocal support for it. Industry leaders have always been and continue to be the most vocal advocates of Yucca, he said.

"The industry is vitally interested in Yucca Mountain," Domenici said.