GOP Presidential Candidates Oppose Yucca Mountain

Don't They Know That President Obama Opposes Yucca Mountain Too?

Republican presidential candidates, from left, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum,
 Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, businessman Herman Cain, former Massachusetts
Gov. Mitt Romney,  Texas Gov. Rick Perry, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich
 and Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., pose for a photo before a  Republican
 presidential debate Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2011, in Las Vegas. Photo: Chris Carlson / AP

Tuesday's CNN sponsored debated revealed that the Republican candidates agree with President Obama in opposing Yucca Mountain in Nevada as the nation's nuclear waste repository.

Ron Paul, like President Obama, supports nuclear power, but said the other 49 states don't have the right to "put our garbage in your state [Nevada]."  Paul opposes all energy subsidies.

Both former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, Texas Gov. Rick Perry and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich oppose the proposed Nevada repository.  Newt: “I’m not a scientist. I mean, Yucca Mountain was certainly picked by the scientific community as one of the safest places in the United States.  It has always had very deep opposition here in Nevada. But we have to find some method of finding a very geologically stable place, and most geologists agree that Yucca Mountain is that.”

Although the other candidates did not comment, they also did not attempt to jump in to address the issue.  Maybe that had something to do with the debate being in Nevada, proposed home for the site.

The Center supports Yucca Mountain as the national repository for nuclear waste.  We also recommend locating a reprocessing facility at the Yucca site.