Senate vote on N-fuel raises hopes of officials

WISCASSET – Officials at the closed Maine Yankee nuclear power plant were pleased with the U.S. Senate vote paving the way for the storage of spent nuclear fuel at Yucca Mountain in Nevada.

Maine Yankee, which is in the process of being decommissioned, had planned to store spent fuel rods indefinitely in canisters on the site.

“This enhances the possibility of getting nuclear fuel out of Maine,” said Eric Howes, Maine Yankee’s spokesman. “This was especially important because there was no alternate Plan B.”

The Senate voted Tuesday night to override Nevada’s veto of the project after action by the House in May. Under a 1982 law, Nevada could have killed the project if Congress hadn’t intervened. Both Maine Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins supported the override.

The issue is far from resolved, however.