Federal Judge Strikes Down Hanford Nuclear-Waste Initiative

Date: June 14, 2006

Source: Associated Press

A federal judge struck down a voter-approved initiative that would have prohibited the federal government from shipping nuclear waste to Hanford, ruling that the law unconstitutionally infringed on federal prerogatives. Initiative-297, known as the Cleanup Priority Act and overwhelmingly approved by Washington voters in 2004, would have blocked a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) plan to make Hanford the permanent disposal site for some low-level radioactive and hazardous wastes. U.S. District Judge Alan McDonald of Yakima agreed with the federal government's argument that I-297 preempted the field of nuclear-materials regulation.

More information: www.waed.uscourts.gov.

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