Craig Battled for a Nevada Nuclear Waste Storage Site

Sep 03 - Las Vegas Review - Journal

Sen. Larry Craig's imminent departure from the U.S. Senate removes a major advocate for storing high level nuclear waste in Nevada, and a combative one at that.

Craig was considered among the biggest proponents of nuclear power in Congress. In that vein, he focused on steering federal dollars and missions to the Idaho National Laboratory, an Energy Department installation that performs nuclear waste research.

He also was one of the most vocal supporters of the Yucca Mountain repository, which if built could become the destination of more than 3,000 shipments of Navy nuclear waste now stored in Idaho.

"He along with Sen. Pete Domenici in our view have been the one- two punch for the nuclear industry. In that sense the industry is losing one of their key spokespeople," said Michael Mariotte, executive director of the Nuclear Information and Resource Service, an anti-nuclear advocacy group.

In 2002 Craig was a lead senator promoting the official designation of the Nevada site for nuclear waste storage. He regularly roused the Energy Department forward on Yucca and debated repository critics with an ferocity that some said bordered on disdain.

On occasions he battled Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., the project's most influential opponent.

"Senator Craig was an advocate for Yucca Mountain. His being gone is one more nail in the coffin for that dump," Reid said Friday night.

In a surprising confrontation, Craig at a August 2006 Senate hearing upbraided a representative of Gov. Kenny Guinn, saying he was not interested in the Nevadan's views.

"I don't know that you have credibility before this committee. Your purpose is to kill Yucca Mountain, period." Craig said to Bob Loux, director of Nevada's Agency for Nuclear Projects.

"Can you have any objectivity at all? I doubt it," Craig said.

"Certainly as much as anyone who is advocating (the repository)," Loux shot back.

"Every hearing that Nevada was ever at, he did nothing but attack," Loux recalled on Friday. "We all thought that was over the top."

"Having him gone improves Nevada's chances for gaining congressional support," Loux said.

Craig co-sponsored bills with Domenici, R-N.M., that envision nuclear waste being fast-tracked to Yucca Mountain by 2010, almost a decade faster than the Energy Department plans.

The Idahoan maintained he was uncowed by Reid, who has vowed to block bills that would help the Yucca Mountain project advance.

"Harry in his wildest dreams wishes it would go away, but it is not going away," Craig told reporters about Yucca last December. He believed a tide of pro-nuclear sentiment in Congress would force Reid to compromise.

But with Reid exercising influence, repository legislation so far has not moved forward in the Democrat-controlled Senate.

Craig and Reid squared off again last September. Reid prepared amendments to shield Nevada from spent nuclear fuel that might result from a landmark U.S.-India nuclear cooperation agreement.

Charging that Reid was grandstanding for constituents, Craig prepared a counteramendment to begin moving nuclear materials to Nevada "as soon as practicable."

The two eventually backed away from each other, dropping their amendments.

With Republicans in the Senate minority, Craig's influence was diminished, said an industry official who asked not to be identified because she had not been cleared to speak to media.

"If he were still in the majority I would say this would leave a huge gap," the official said. "And it doesn't look like the Senate is going to act (on Yucca) anytime soon so I am not seeing any huge impact on the legislative agenda."

Idaho lawmakers monitor the Yucca issue closely in part because the state is party to a consent agreement with the Energy Department and the Navy calling for the removal of all spent nuclear fuel by Jan. 1, 2035.

Craig's eventual successor likely also will promote Yucca Mountain, said Michele Boyd, legislative director for Public Citizen, an advocacy group.

"I don't expect there to be dramatic changes," Boyd said.

Nevada officials said they doubted a new Idaho senator would match Craig.

"Clearly he has been one of the biggest pro-Yucca supporters all he way along," Loux said. "I don't think any of us are not happy to see him go."