GOP candidate works to make Yucca Mountain’s likely demise an issue in Washington Senate race

Waste dump playing role in races outside Nevada

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration’s decision to bypass Nevada’s Yucca Mountain as a nuclear waste repository is getting a mixed reaction from Democrats up for election this fall.

No one wants nuclear waste, so the decision should give Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada’s re-election bid a boost.

But it’s not doing Sen. Patty Murray of Washington any favors and is becoming an election issue in her race. The decision to bypass Yucca Mountain is also facing criticism from South Carolina Reps. John Spratt and Jim Clyburn.

Washington and South Carolina don’t want to store their large amounts of high-level nuclear waste. They have sued to keep Yucca Mountain as an option for storing nuclear waste.