Washington, D.C. – In addition to facing questions about safety, Nevada Senator Harry Reid says the latest nuclear waste bill in the Senate will require more than $1.2 billion dollars in additional taxpayer dollars or budget cuts in other federally funded programs.

"Republicans have talked a lot about tightening their belts and not overspending, but when it comes to Yucca Mountain they are willing to sock it to taxpayers," Reid said. "This bill is a bloated billion dollar budget buster that will require cuts in other important programs to bailout the greedy nuclear power industry. That is on top of the billions that have already been spent on Yucca Mountain without even proving that this site is safe and workable."

According to figures released on Wednesday from the Office of Mangagement and Budget (OMB), Senate Bill S.1287 would require an additional $1.2 billion in spending through 2005. In order to make up for that budget short fall, OMB states that "offsets" or cuts in other spending programs would have to be made under current congressional rules.

"We have had to fight in the Senate to even partially fund important social programs in recent years," Reid said. "But its seems to be no problem for Republican led nuclear waste proponents to ask for more spending on a project riddled with scientific objections and doubt."

In addition to budget hurdles, S.1287 still faces a veto from the Clinton administration over the role of the EPA in setting radiation standards.

"The sponsors of this legislation have admitted that if the EPA is allowed to set the guidelines for safe radiation exposure standards, Yucca Mountain is dead. The President has sided with Nevadans and with the American people on this issue and has put their health and safety above the profits of nuclear power producers. He should be commended for standing by his commitment to veto this bill."

Debate on S.1287 could begin as early as Tuesday of next week and Senator Reid has been working with Senator Richard Bryan to spread the word about problems with the current bill.