Senate Fails to Override Nuclear Waste Act Veto
Dateline: 05/03/00
The U.S. Senate yesterday failed by a vote of 64 - 35 to override President Clinton's April 25 veto of the Nuclear Waste Policy Amendments Act of 2000 - S. 1287. A two-thirds majority would have been required to override the veto. Under the rules of the Senate, another veto override motion on S. 1287 could be offered in the future by Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-Mississippi).
The Act amends schedules, guidelines and areas of government responsibility for the transportation and permanent storage of all U.S. spent nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas.
The Senate passed the Act on February 10, 2000 by a vote of 64 - 34, falling three votes short of the number required to prevent a presidential veto.
In objecting to the Yucca Mountain storage site, environmentalists cite geologic instability due to fault lines, ground water seepage and threats to nearby Las Vegas due to transportation of nuclear waste to the repository.
The President's veto was based on the Administration's objection to removal of language from the Act calling for the Department of Energy take ownership of the spent fuel in the years before the repository is completed.
The Administration was also opposed to provisions of the Act delaying the Environmental Protection Agency's right to set radiation exposure limits until 2001.
Yucca Mountain Will Proceed
The Senate's failure to override the President's veto of the Nuclear
Waste Policy Amendments Act of 2000 in no way affects the selection of Yucca
Mountain, Nevada as the site to be developed as a geologic repository for the
nation's commercial and defense spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive
waste.
All other locations were eliminated from consideration by Section 160 of the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982. This act was signed into law by President Reagan on Jan. 7, 1983 (Public Law 97-425), and remains in effect as amended today.
Under the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 and amendments, actual construction of the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository can begin no sooner than 2005, with actual storage of waste to begin no sooner than 2010.
If you have a question about Yucca Mountain or nuclear waste storage, you can call the project at -- Toll-Free 1-800-225-6972 -- Monday through Friday, 7:30 am PST.
Reference Links
Nuclear
industry in quandary over spent fuel disposal
Veto of the Nuclear Waste Policy Act leaves the U.S.
nuclear power industry facing the problem of how to safely dismantle aging
plants and what to do with spent nuclear fuel. -- CNN - April 23, 2000
Yucca
Mountain EIS criticized as incomplete
"A draft environmental impact statement for the proposed Yucca Mountain
nuclear site was called inadequate, incomplete and not in compliance with
federal requirements." (Tahoe.com - Friday, December 3, 1999)
Nuclear
Waste Policy Act of 1982
The original and still in
effect Act that provided for the
development of repositories for the disposal of high-level radioactive waste and
spent nuclear fuel and selected the Yucca Mountain site.
Yucca
Mountain Project Web Site
The Department of Energy
has put together this Web site explaining the science, engineering and
environmental considerations of the Yucca Mountain project.
Yucca
Mountain Public Hearings
EPA conducted public
hearings on the Agency's proposed standards for Yucca Mountain, NV, in
October, 1999. You can view transcripts of each hearing in pdf format.
Cold War: Costs of Victory
The Berlin Wall and communism fell, but now the U.S. is spending $475.5
million to help the former Soviet Union dismantle and store its excess nuclear
weapons. From your About.com Guide.
Nuclear Waste: Coming sooner to a cave
near you?
Congress is considering a bill that will require the transportation and storage
of highly radioactive nuclear waste 7 years sooner than under the original law.
From your About.com Guide.
Nuke
'em?! - The problem
Las Vegas Guide Robert Romano
looks at the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste storage issue from the viewpoint of a
next-door neighbor.
Nuclear
Waste in the US
Links to articles and sites dealing with United States nuclear waste issues.
From Environment Guide Patricia Michaels.
In Congress
Today
The daily schedules of House and Senate, major legislation, votes and more.
US Government
Job Openings
Links to vacancy announcements at dozens of agencies and military branches.
Huge Index of
Government Web Sites
One of the largest lists of agencies, bureaus and offices on the Web.
Supreme
Court Report
Find out about recent decisions and major cases now being considered by the
Supreme Court. Includes links to texts of Court decisions and analysis by many
of your About.com Guides and other major media sources.
How to...
...do lots of things involving the U.S. Government.
Latest
News and Features
The latest news and features on US Government Info/Resources.
Politics?
You want Politics?
Guide John Aravosis is and insider who'll deliver all the politics you can
handle.
Military
Questions?
Guide Rod Powers probably has the answers.
Immigration
Headlines
Keep up with the latest news about U.S. immigration laws and events with Guides
Jennifer and Peter Wipf.
Express Your
Opinions
Just click on a topic to read or take part in the discussion.
