Nevada lawmakers asked to fund fight against Yucca Mountain
LAS VEGAS — A state agency asked Nevada lawmakers to commit $3.6 million a year for the next two years to continue a fight against a federal proposal to bury the nation's most radioactive waste at Yucca Mountain, about 100 miles from Las Vegas.
State Agency for Nuclear Projects chief Robert Halstead said following a presentation Monday to state Senate and Assembly members that his agency needs about $1.9 million annually for the administrative fight, and the state attorney general's office needs $1.7 million a year.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission could begin hearings before 2019 on licensing the mothballed project to accept spent nuclear fuel, Halstead said.
An NRC official said Tuesday that hearings won't be scheduled until federal lawmakers provide funding for the hearings and give the go-ahead.
Read more: http://www.nevadaappeal.com/news/government/nevada-lawmakers-asked-to-fund-fight-against-yucca-mountain/