WASHINGTON (AP) — A new lawsuit says the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is breaking the law by failing to act on an application for construction of a nuclear waste dump outside Las Vegas.
President George W. Bush’s administration submitted the application in 2008 to send the nation’s spent nuclear fuel to Nevada’s Yucca Mountain. But the Obama administration says it will not consider the site because of concerns about contamination.
The commission is required under the law to issue a final decision within three years of an application, with the possibility of extending the deadline by one year. But the commission has taken no action. South Carolina and Washington state, which are temporarily storing their waste, are among those that sued Friday to force the commission to rule on the application.
