Georgia and South Carolina Community Leaders Hold Press Conference to Discuss Decision to Halt Work on Yucca Mountain Permanent Nuclear Waste Repository
Wednesday, April 28, 2010 – National Press Club, Washington, DC
Available via webcast at www.visualwebcaster.com/Finish-Yucca-Mountain | <http://www.visualwebcaster.com/Finish-Yucca-Mountain>.
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“The Federal Government’s decision to halt work on the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository represents a betrayal of trust by the Department of Energy (DOE) with communities where high-level defense waste and commercial spent fuel are currently stored.
That is the message being delivered to the Department of Energy by more than 40 community leaders from five counties around DOE’s Savannah River Site near Aiken, SC, at a Washington, DC press conference on April 28. These elected officials and business leaders represent counties in both Georgia and South Carolina.
In recent weeks, Aiken County, South Carolina, filed a lawsuit in the U. S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia seeking judicial relief to keep the licensing process active. The State of Washington has filed a suit seeking to prevent DOE from permanently shutting down Yucca Mountain. A group of business leaders in Hanford, Washington, has filed a similar suit. Clay Killian, Aiken County Administrator, will discuss the purpose and status of his county’s suit.
In addition, more than 15 political and economic development entities ranging from the South Carolina House of Representatives to chambers of commerce and small towns near the Savannah River Site have adopted strongly worded resolutions objecting to the Federal Government’s decision to abandon Yucca Mountain as its preferred option for nuclear waste storage.
The group also objects to the fact that no community representatives were appointed by Secretary of Energy Stephen Chu to his Blue Ribbon Panel on America’s Nuclear Future despite repeated requests that such representatives be named. The panel has many distinguished topical and policy experts, but it has no voice representing the hundreds of communities near federal and commercial nuclear sites.”
For additional information, please contact Rick McLeod, (803) 593-9954 (803) 593-9954 x 1411, ,
or Mike Butler, (704) 461-1687 (704) 461-1687 , <mailto:
The press conference is also available on webcast which
can be accessed at http://www.visualwebcaster.com/Finish-Yucca-Mountain<http://www.visualwebcaster.com/Finish-Yucca-Mountain
The New Liberator