House votes to cut budget for Nevada N-waste dump

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House voted Wednesday to cut the budget for the troubled Yucca Mountain nuclear waste dump well below this year's level and President Bush's request.

At the same time, lawmakers again rejected Bush's proposal to curb spending on water projects undertaken by the Army Corps of Engineers.

The moves came as the House adopted, by a 399-17 vote, a final House-Senate compromise on a $30.5 billion energy and water spending bill for the budget year that began Oct. 1. Reflecting tight budget times, the bill is $750 million below this year's levels.

The Yucca nuclear waste repository would be funded at $450 million for the 2006 budget year, $127 million below the level for each of the past two years. Bill negotiators also ditched a controversial House plan to supplement Yucca with interim storage sites for nuclear waste.