Nevada U.S. senator blasts Trump energy pick over Yucca Mountain
On the same day that President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for energy secretary declined to fully shut down the idea of reopening a nuclear waste repository in Nevada, the state’s congressional delegation introduced a related bill to lessen the possibility.
All of Nevada’s congressional delegation, with the exception of Rep. Mark Amodei, R-Nev., introduced the Nuclear Waste Informed Consent Act. Before any nuclear repository facility moves forward, the proposed law would require the energy secretary to obtain written consent from governor of the host state, affected local governments and local Native American tribes.
The Department of Energy recommended Yucca Mountain, about 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas, as a national nuclear waste repository in 2002. But each time plans resurfaced, plans stalled because of bipartisan opposition.
Liberty Energy CEO Chris Wright, who has previously refuted near-scientific consensus that climate change is caused by greenhouse gas emissions, faced questioning on Wednesday from the Senate Energy and Natural Resources committee. His opening remarks were interrupted by protesters who yelled ““LA is burning” and “I’m 18 years old, and I want a future!” according to The Associated Press.
Ranking member Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., appeared displeased with Wright’s responses, later going on social media to call his answers “disappointing.”
“As we discussed, I think if you’re going to build large infrastructure — and nuclear waste disposal would certainly fall in that category that has concerns — you need to have on board the local community,” Wright said in one response. “I think Nevadans, and as you’ve expressed clearly have deep concerns about seeing that facility go ahead, and I think that’s your answer.”
Unsatisfied with that answer, Cortez Masto followed up: “Can Nevadans count on you to acknowledge that the failed Yucca Mountain project is unworkable?”
“I’m new to politics,” he answered. “I think that has been a clear record that Nevadans opposed the project. I will work with with you and with senators across the country to find solutions for long-term disposal of nuclear waste, and I agree with you that a central part of that is going to be local buy-in.”
Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., echoed Cortez Masto’s concerns in a statement Wednesday.
“Chris Wright’s refusal to clearly acknowledge the Yucca Mountain project is dead and commit to a robust consent-based siting process is deeply concerning,” Rosen said. “Nevadans have been overwhelmingly clear in their opposition to making our state the nation’s nuclear waste dumping ground. I will always fight against any effort from Washington to bring nuclear waste to our state.”
Contact Alan Halaly at ahalaly@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlanHalaly on X.
