August 8, 2017

Las Vegas – Today Rep. Dina Titus of Nevada’s First Congressional District released the following statement after the Nuclear Regulatory Commission approved $110,000 for “information gathering” related to the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository.

“This announcement is another sign that the Trump Administration continues to stack the deck against Nevada and maneuvers to revive the unworkable Yucca scheme. These funds are the tip of the iceberg in a project that would cost ratepayers at least $80 billion. Since 2010, the DOE has dismantled much of its infrastructure related to Yucca, losing key personnel, ending hundreds of contracts and subcontracts, terminating leases for office space, and moving truckloads of related resources and documents to facilities across the country. Despite the fact that lawmakers have yet to do so, the NRC’s approval of these funds is based on the assumption that lawmakers will appropriate more money to revive the licensing process. The NRC should save these funds from the Nuclear Waste Fund for a consent-based project in a state that wants a repository.”