The White House has drawn the ire of both Republicans and Democrats in the House who object to its plan to shutter the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste disposal site in Nevada.
The congressmen support a bill to keep the site going. And they hope to devote more money to it,
The Hill reports.
The issue came up amid debate over the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act late Thursday. The bill allocates $25 million to the Yucca Mountain project.
That would keep the site functioning, said Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen, R-N.J. "Research and development activities to support Yucca are permitted," he said. "This will ensure that we keep Congress in the driver's seat for nuclear waste policy."
On the Democratic side of the aisle, House Appropriations Committee ranking member Norm Dicks, D-Wash., offered his support for the bill. He said he would seek more money for the Nevada site to demonstrate the determination of Congress to keep it open.
"I want to applaud the chairman and ranking member for continuing the funding for the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste storage facility," Dicks said. Providing more money for it would "underscore the strong bipartisan support in the House for moving ahead with a plan to open the nation's high-level waste storage facility," he said.
"I believe as many do in the House that administration's position to close the Yucca Mountain site runs counter to the letter and spirit of the Nuclear Waste Policy Act passed by Congress."
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