The nuclear energy industry is backing away from its opposition to a Utah tribe's controversial waste storage site because Yucca Mountain, the federally-approved repository, is being delayed.

A top energy official said the industry is looking to other options for long-term storage. One includes the Skull Valley Goshute Tribe's proposed site, where up to 44,000 tons of nuclear waste would be stored under an agreement with Private Fuel Storage.

Yucca Mountain, located on Western Shoshone land in Nevada, was scheduled to open in 2010 but outgoing Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham said it would be delayed again. Western Shoshone tribes oppose the site and sought to be included in decisions affecting it. The state of Nevada also opposes it.

Get the Story:
Nuclear Backers Modify Stance on Waste (The New York Times 1/31)
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Relevant Links:
Skull Valley Goshute Tribe - http://www.skullvalleygoshutes.org
Private Fuel Storage - http://www.privatefuelstorage.com

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