John Kerry'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.

John Kerry:

Description of candidate's position: Kerry voted against the plan to dispose of waste at Yucca Mountain when it was initially proposed in 1987, voted in May 2000 against temporary storage of spent nuclear fuel rods in Nevada, and voted again in 2002 against the Senate version of the bill that Bush signed. His opposition is based in health concerns for the people of Nevada, and also in environmental protection from corroding pipes holding the nuclear waste.

Quotation from the candidate: "As my friends in Nevada can tell you, I have stood time and time again with Nevada families to stop George W. Bush from turning this state into a nuclear waste dump. As your President, I'll continue that fight for Nevada - and you'll have the White House working for your top priority, instead of selling you out to the special interests."

Assessment of the proposal:

Positive: 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.

Negative: 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.

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. http://www.johnkerry.com/pressroom/releases/pr_2004_0812h.html

Link to Bush's hazardous waste page.