Nevada Senators Harry Reid and John Ensign responded to the Environmental Protection Agency’s new final standard for what it considers acceptable public radiation exposure from the proposed Yucca Mountain nuclear waste dump: a decision based on flawed science that will put millions of Nevadans at risk.

“Instead of working to protect the health and safety of Nevadans, EPA and DOE are casting science aside in an attempt to get the nuclear waste dump approved,” said Reid.  “Instead of warring against science, I side with Nevadans and experts who support safe and attainable solutions to our nation’s nuclear waste.  That is why I am working with Sen. Ensign to keep nuclear waste on-site at the power plants where it is produced in secure dry cask storage containers that are approved by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.  This plan is safer, more cost-effective, and will give us at least a century to find a more permanent solution to nuclear waste.”

“The risks associated with Yucca Mountain are no secret,” said Ensign.  “Yet the EPA has decided to disregard science and the health and safety of Nevadans to push this nuclear waste dump further into action.  Instead of trying to dismiss the risks of Yucca Mountain, our country should be moving towards safe on-site nuclear waste storage.  Senator Reid and I will continue to push for this new direction in nuclear waste storage and away from the flawed policy of Yucca Mountain.”