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Members Of NV Congressional Delegation Angry Over Proposed Yucca Revival

Nevada's congressional delegation is upset over new plans to revive the nuclear waste dump at Yucca Mountain.

President Trump's initial budget proposal for the upcoming fiscal year includes $120 million in funding for the long-stalled project, even though few in the state want it.

Three of Nevada's four members of the House and two senators each issued their own statements in response decrying the plan.

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Republican Senator Dean Heller said Yucca was "dead" and called Trump's proposal "reckless," while Democratic Senator Catherine Cortez Masto said it was "unacceptable."

Democratic Representatives Dina Titus, Ruben Kihuen and Jacky Rosen all issued similar remarks, as did State Senate Majority Leader Aaron Ford and State Assembly Minority Leader Paul Anderson.

On the flip side, Republican Representative Mark Amodei said "Nevadans cannot simply ignore Yucca Mountain and think it is off the table."

He thinks Nevada should extract the best possible terms from the federal government for the project were it to go forward.

Casey Morell is the coordinating producer of Nevada Public Radio's flagship broadcast State of Nevada and one of the station's midday newscast announcers. (He's also been interviewed by Jimmy Fallon, whatever that's worth.)