Trump Again Backs Nuclear Waste Disposal at Yucca Mountain

The Trump administration wants to give the proposed nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain another shot. The president’s proposed fiscal year 2020 budget, released March 11, supports the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s licensing process for the construction of the Nevada storage site.

The Energy Department’s budget for fiscal year 2019 omitted funding for the licensing process. The president is proposing $116 million for that effort, largely in line with the previous request.

But Congress would ultimately decide whether to allocate the funds, and has not appropriated funding for the licensing process as lawmakers in Nevada are adamantly opposed. ...