The Obama administration has appointed former Rep. Lee Hamilton and former National Security Adviser Brent Scowcroft to run a commission that will recommend alternatives to Yucca Mountain for storing spent nuclear fuel and nuclear waste.
Congress has designated the site as the nation's first permanent nuclear waste repository. But Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and other Nevada lawmakers strongly oppose storing nuclear waste at the site, about 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas.
President Barack Obama has said he doesn't see Yucca Mountain as a workable option. Obama energy adviser Carol Browner says the White House is "done with Yucca" and wants to find alternatives.
The 15-member commission will include scientists, industry representatives and former lawmakers, the Energy Department said Friday. The group will issue an interim report within 18 months and a final report within two years.
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