For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
July 23, 2002

President Signs Yucca Mountain Bill
Statement by the Press Secretary

The President was pleased today to sign House Joint Resolution 87. It will allow us, after a decade of scientific study, to take the next step in establishing a safe repository in which to store our nation's nuclear waste. Nuclear waste is now stored in 131 temporary locations in 39 states. The successful completion of the Yucca Mountain project will ensure our nation has a safe and secure underground facility that will store nuclear waste in a manner that protects our environment and our citizens. The President thanks the many members of Congress who supported this Resolution and the Department of Energy for its efforts in developing a safe repository to meet our nation's nuclear waste storage needs.

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