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MONDAY, APRIL 7, 2003

The Prairie Island Indian Community will have nuclear waste in its backyard until 2038 at the earliest, and possibly until 2062, The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

The paper reviewed technical reports, company e-mails and other documents and said the Xcel Energy nuclear plant will have a long life regardless of the current debate over the facility's future. The tribe opposes the storage of more waste but will receive upwards of $50 million as long as the plant is in operation.

Xcel could ship its waste to Yucca Mountain in Nevada, which is designated as the sole federal repository. But that project faces numerous obstacles as does another proposal on the Skull Valley Goshute Reservation in Utah. Xcel is one of eight partners in a tribal-sanctioned project there.

Get the Story:
Nuclear waste will remain in state for decades (The Minneapolis Star Tribune 4/7)

Relevant Links:
Prairie Island Mdewakanton Dakota Tribe - http://www.prairieisland.org
Xcel Energy - http://www.xcelenergy.com

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