WASHINGTON - September 27 - Tomorrow marks the four-year anniversary of George W. Bush's letter to Nevada Governor Kenny Guinn promising to authorize the storage of nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain only with backing of the best science. A review of Bush's record on Yucca over his Presidential term shows that he has broken that promise not once but multiple times, even when faced with warnings from different research bodies.

"As I've said before, I believe the best science must prevail in the designation of any high-level nuclear waste repository," Bush wrote to Governor Guinn in a letter dated September 28, 2000. "As President, I would not sign legislation that would send nuclear waste to any proposed site -- either on a permanent or temporary basis -- unless it has been deemed scientifically safe."

Despite that promise, the record shows that whenever Bush has been faced with major scientific concerns about Yucca Mountain, he has responded by redoubling his commitment to the project.

* In 2002, President Bush officially recommended Yucca Mountain as a national storage facility despite receiving a General Accounting Office report documenting 300 different scientific concerns about the designs for Yucca.

* In 2003, President Bush pledged to deliver nuclear waste to Yucca Mountain by 2010 only months after the Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board warned that the designs for Yucca were unsafe.

* In July 2004, the Bush administration reaffirmed its plans to deliver nuclear waste to Yucca Mountain by 2010 despite a U.S. Appeals Court ruling that the administration's Yucca designs failed to meet safety standards set by the National Academy of Science.

"I urge all Nevadans to tell President Bush that if he's a man of his word, he'll stop ignoring the warnings from scientists and dump his plans for Yucca Mountain," said Tara Smith, speaking for the Sierra Club in Las Vegas.

Added Smith, "This is one flip flop Nevadans shouldn't tolerate."

The following is Governor and candidate George W. Bush's September 28, 2000 letter to Governor Kenny Guinn in its entirety:

September 28, 2000

Dear Kenny,

Thanks for your recent letter regarding temporary storage of high-level nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain, Nevada.

As I've said before, I believe the best science must prevail in the designation of any high-level nuclear waste repository. As President, I would not sign legislation that would send nuclear waste to any proposed site -- either on a permanent or temporary basis -- unless it has been deemed scientifically safe.

The Department of Energy has not completed its impact study of Yucca Mountain and important questions of environmental protection and safety have not yet been answered. Therefore, I would veto legislation that would provide for the temporary storage of nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain.

I also believe the federal government must work with the local and state governments that will be affected to address safety and transportation issues.

Sincerely,

George W. Bush

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