washington lawmakers u.s. house representatives wednesday debate resurrect stall yucca mountain spend nuclear fuel dump nevada project critics say hind lack easy transport route representative john shimkus illinois republican propose draft legislation restart license yucca mountain government already spend billions dollars initial construction project pending since ronald reagan president former president barack obama oppose yucca stop license process 2010. president donald trump propose 2018 budget provide 120 million restart license development interim nuclear waste sit yucca complete detail trump administration support yucca could come broad budget release may currently spend nuclear fuel deadly leave unshielded store reactors across country first cool ponds thick casks yucca site 100 miles 160 km northwest las vegas face cumbersome costly license process could take years complete question critics long spend fuel remain without radiation leak aquifer yucca supporters say little groundwater desert site contain barriers flow river drink water supply even tricky problem get spend fuel yucca mountain safely train truck nuclear reactors sit across country transportation achilles heel yucca mountain repository site say bob halstead head nevada agency nuclear project one train route study department energy know caliente least partially block obama 2015 designation national monument call basin range another route know mina oppose walker river tribe withdraw permission 2007 government ship waste reservation many casino owners game associations also oppose transport spend nuclear fuel near city las vegas say publicity shipments could harm property value tourism federal nuclear regulatory commission point nuclear waste transport safely country 40 years yucca backers quick cite shimkus whose state illinois reactors say yucca ideal remoteness nuclear power reactors nevada state entire congressional delegation include members party oppose yucca representative jacky rosen nevada democrat say major accident would harm human health cost hundreds millions dollars cleanup cost damage las vegas economy honestly believe ship 5,000 truck casks high-level nuclear waste span 50 years result least one radiological accident rosen say hear bill contain measure direct energy secretary consider rout avoid las vegas provision unenforceable exist laws halstead say nevada governor brian sandoval republican meet energy secretary rick perry washington wednesday sandoval say reiterate opposition yucca urge perry explore realistic safe alternative u.s. nuclear waste problem u.s. lawmakers push yucca nuclear dump face transport crunch