George Bush's stance on hazardous waste sites
Yucca: Nuclear waste was regulated most recently on July 23, 2002 when President Bush signed House Joint Resolution 87, the then next step in authorizing Yucca Mountain as the nations first long-term repository for high-level radioactive waste. But the Department of Energy has been studying the feasibility of Yucca since 1978. The DOE is currently seeking application from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to proceed with the construction.
George W. Bush:
Description of candidate's position: Bush signed legislation July 23, 2002, clearing the way for the Department of Energy to go forward with the Yucca project. Despite disagreement from the senators and governor from Nevada, Bush will appeal the decisions to the courts and to the NRC, and will stand by those decisions. He claims his decision to move forward is based on sound science. It is also important to not the link between sending waste to Yucca and the revival of the nuclear power industry in America.
Quotation from the candidate: "The other issue, of course, I want to talk about is Yucca Mountain. This is a vital question, and we need to keep facts, not politics, at the center of the debate. . . .When I campaigned here in this state, I said I would make a decision based upon science, not politics. I said I would listen to the scientists, those involved with determining whether or not this project could move forward in a safe manner. And that's exactly what I did. I listened, I listened to the, I listened to the people, who know the facts and know the science, and made a decision." link
Assessment of the proposal:
Positive: The US Environmental Protection Agency's standards for Yucca Mountain were created with specific insight into all potential sources of contamination to the environment or to public health. With the studies conducted, they say only 3 out of 10,000 people have a risk of developing a fatal cancer.
Negative: Women's Action for New Direction indicates the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the General Accounting Office, and a Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board all cautioned Bush against moving ahead with plans to store nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain based on scientific evidence that there would a continuous threat to the health of the people and to the environment for 10,000 years, the length of time the waste would be radioactive, and accident risks would be high because of transporting the waste across the country.
Comparison: With the issue of Yucca Mountain, there is not much comparison. Bush will move ahead and continue pursuing Yucca Mountain as a potential site for long-term storage of waste, while both Nevada senators agree that with Kerry, there will be no waste in Yucca.
Link to Kerry's hazardous waste page.