O’Donnell says storing nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain is a “complicated question”

Republican Marty O’Donnell expressed openness to using Yucca Mountain as a nuclear waste disposal site.

Nevadans have resisted efforts to turn the mountain into a radioactive dump ever since the idea was first proposed in 1987. The mountain was being prepared to store nuclear waste throughout the 1990s, despite concerns about potential radiation leaks. President Bill Clinton cut off some funding for the project in 2000 and the Obama administration officially terminated it in 2010.

Efforts to revive the project in 2017 and 2018 were met with bipartisan backlash. Despite this, President Donald Trump tried unsuccessfully to revive the project again in 2019.

O’Donnell’s campaign uses the web platform Discord to communicate with supporters and potential voters. On April 25, a Discord user asked O’Donnell where he stood on using Yucca Mountain as a nuclear waste disposal site.

“This is a complicated question,” O’Donnell wrote in response. “We should certainly look at ways to safely transport and permanently store nuclear waste. I believe the state of Nevada could have a lot to offer in terms of solutions.”

A spokesperson for O’Donnell’s campaign walked back this statement when asked for comment.

“Marty O’Donnell opposes Yucca Mountain being used as a storage facility for nuclear waste and will fight any and all attempts to force Nevada to be the nation’s nuclear waste dump when he is in Congress,” said Keith Schipper.

O’Donnell is challenging Democratic Rep. Susie Lee in the state’s 3rd District. Last month, Lee introduced a bill that would permanently protect Yucca Mountain from becoming a nuclear waste site.

“Time and time again, Nevadans have clearly opposed storing waste at Yucca Mountain—now we have a chance to make sure Yucca stays dead for good,” Lee said in a press release.

Trump has endorsed O’Donnell’s campaign.