Nuclear Waste Storage Must Wait, Court Says
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WASHINGTON — The Energy Department may not move nuclear wastes into an underground cavern in New Mexico until the state issues a permit and Congress approves a land transfer, a federal judge ruled Monday.
The decision was a major setback for Energy Secretary James D. Watkins, who had hoped to begin shipping hundreds of barrels of nuclear wastes to be stored in the caverns, near Carlsbad, N. M., within months.
New Mexico and several environmental groups had filed two lawsuits challenging the five-year test program, involving 5,000 barrels of radioactive wastes from government weapons plants. A temporary injunction was issued in November.
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