Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., on Thursday announced Nevada will receive $57 million for energy and water projects under legislation just approved by a conference committee.
In addition, the Energy and Water Appropriations bill contained $196.8 million that Reid says President Obama requested to terminate the Yucca Mountain Project. Part of that funding will be used to set up a blue ribbon commission to seek alternative answers to disposing of nuclear waste.
He also managed to win another reduction in funding for the Yucca licensing hearings, cutting the appropriation from $56 million to $29 million.
"In addition to providing funds for energy and water projects that will help put Nevadans back to work, we join with President Obama in saying it is time to terminate the Yucca Mountain Project and begin looking for responsible, alternative solutions to safely deal with nuclear waste in this country," said Reid.
Included on the list of projects funded by the legislation are several in western Nevada and the Tahoe Basin. They are:
• $50,000 to the Washoe Tribe in Gardnerville to install six wind turbines generating 18 kilowatts of electric power at the tribe's HeadStart buildings, community centers, a gas station and the Washoe agricultural ranch.
• $200,000 for a study of solar resources on the Fallon Paiute-Shoshone tribe's land in Fallon.
• $3 million to the Desert Research Institute to fund design and construction for stream zone restoration and control of urban storm water in the Tahoe Basin.
• $448,000 for additional stream zone restoration and urban water control in the Tahoe Basin.
• $2.5 million for Tahoe regional wetlands development and restoration.
• $2 million to finalize designs and complete restoration of 2,200 feet of the Rosewood Creek channel which currently releases large amounts of sediment into Lake Tahoe.