Judge Halts Vote On Waste Dump

Print More

(Host) A Texas judge has agreed to halt a vote next week on whether to expand a nuclear waste dump shared by Vermont and Texas.

Environmental groups from both states went to court arguing that a commission overseeing the planned dump didn’t follow the law in scheduling Tuesday’s vote.

The dump is to be built in Texas and shared with Vermont. But the commission wants to expand the project so other states could dump their low-level nuclear waste there, also.

Governor-elect Peter Shumlin wanted the vote to be delayed until he can appoint members of the commission.

Environmental groups supported Shumlin. Lawyer Rebecca Boucher represents the New England Coalition anti-nuclear group and others.

(Boucher) "The commission seems pretty transparent about its intentions. The chairman of the commission actually admitted in an Austin newspaper that Governor-elect Shumlin’s inauguration was the reason for choosing that date."

(Host) The judge’s order now means that Shumlin probably will be sworn in before a decision is made.

Shumlin takes office on Thursday and he’ll be able to appoint his own commissioners after then.

Comments are closed.