Democratic presidential candidates oppose Nevada nuclear dump, but records spotty

[Renew Deal]

This is certain to come up tonight...

Long-delayed Yucca Mountain site scheduled to open in 2020
By Kathleen Hennessey | The Associated Press

11/13/2007 -

LAS VEGAS, Nev. — The leading Democratic presidential candidates are united on the government's Yucca Mountain nuclear waste storage plan: They'd scrap it.

Their vigorous opposition to the project reflects Nevada's importance as one of a handful of states that will lead off voting in January for the Democratic and Republican nominations. Few local issues are as unpopular with Nevadans as the waste dump.

The Democrats have just one problem — their records keep getting in the way. Front-runner Hillary Rodham Clinton has created suspicion in some corners of the anti-Yucca lobby because she's refused to rule out expansion of nuclear power as a solution to the nation's energy woes and has received campaign contributions from the nuclear industry. Barack Obama, whose home state of Illinois has more nuclear plants than any other, also has received substantial contributions from the industry and wants to leave nuclear power on the table.

John Edwards, when he was a North Carolina senator, voted twice to open the dump and once against it.
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http://www.santafenewmexican.com/National%20News/2008_Presidential_election_Dems_oppose_Nevada_nuclear_dump__but

[MH1]

1. Don't dump your trash in someone else's back yard

I don't have a problem with nuclear being on the table, as long as, before the next plant is built, ALL issues are dealt with and without screwing the taxpayer.

My gut is that if a completely fair and honest evaluation of ALL costs were done, nuclear might not be the best choice but might fit into the mix for some part of baseload. But you can't build a plant in state A and ship your waste to state B. If building a repository reasonably local to the plant isn't feasible, then maybe nuclear energy isn't feasible.