Berkley calls on 'nuked-up' Republicans to cease Yucca Mountain probe

Rep. Shelley Berkley (D-Nev.) on Friday called on House Republicans to stop their investigation into an Obama administration decision to abandon Nevada's Yucca Mountain as a planned storage site for nuclear waste.

Speaking on the House floor, Berkley said the GOP investigation is a "political stunt" aimed at turning Nevada into a "nuclear garbage dump."

"Those pushing this review are lying about the dump's safety," Berkley said. "They know Yucca Mountain is smack in the middle of an earthquake zone. There's volcanic activity. There's groundwater issues. Have we learned nothing abbot what's happening now in Japan?"

Berkley added that the investigation is being prompted by the nuclear industry, and is being aided by its "nuked-up buddies" in Congress.

Republicans on the House Energy & Commerce Committee on Thursday sent questions about the Yucca Mountain decision to the Department of Energy and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.