Washington, D.C. – The Council for Citizens Against Government Waste (CCAGW) today praised the D.C. Court of Appeals’ decision to reject the state of Nevada’s challenge of the transportation plans for the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste site. 

“This appeal was just another stall tactic to prevent the completion of this essential nuclear waste project,” CCAGW President Tom Schatz said.  “Every delay costs taxpayers increased millions in storage fees.” 

In 1982, Congress mandated that the Department of Energy (DOE) collect all of the country’s nuclear waste and store it in one secure location by January, 1998.  Because the Yucca Mountain project is decades behind schedule, the DOE has had to pay hundreds of nuclear sites across the country for on-site storage.  After years of research, scientists have concluded that Yucca Mountain, Nevada is the best place to store spent nuclear fuel.  Bringing all nuclear waste to one place will ensure that the refuse is properly disposed of and protected. 

As long as the endless discussions continue to persist, tons of nuclear waste will sit in costly piles all over the U.S.  The sooner the waste can be moved to an exclusive, government-run site, the sooner taxpayers can stop shouldering unnecessary fees.  In addition, a well-guarded site in the desert ensures that potentially lethal materials will not be lost or stolen.

The Council for Citizens Against Government Waste is the lobbying arm of Citizens Against Government Waste, the nation’s largest nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement in government.