RENO, Nev. (AP) — A Nevada congressman is calling for Energy Secretary Rick Perry's resignation after the department acknowledged low-level radioactive waste that was shipped to a site north of Las Vegas may have been mislabeled and out of compliance with safety regulations for years.
Democratic Rep. Steven Horsford said Wednesday that Perry has disrespected the people of Nevada and eroded public trust in his ability to abide by rules established for nuclear waste disposal.
The material is unrelated to weapons-grade plutonium that the department secretly shipped to the same site last year and is currently at the center of a legal battle with the state of Nevada in the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
But Horsford says it's further evidence that Nevada has been covertly coerced into illegally storing nuclear materials. He says Perry must resign immediately.