US NRC approves Yucca Mountain nuclear waste site

Yet another step in a long approval process, NRC approved a site suitability study submitted by the Department of Energy. The Bush administration must still submit that plan for congressional approval.

The Energy Department in August gave a favorable safety assessment to the proposed project, which would face an uphill battle on Capitol Hill. It is heavily opposed by Democrat Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada, the new Senate assistant majority leader.

The site in the Nevada desert would store thousands of tons of radioactive materials from nuclear power plants for an estimated 10,000 years.