Nuke dump compact, which includes Oklahoma, accepts Nebraska's $141 million settlement

LINCOLN, Nebraska (AP) _ A five state low-level nuclear waste compact voted three-to-one today (Monday) to accept a settlement over Nebraska's blocking of a dump site. <br/><br/>Nebraska will pay $141-million

Monday, August 9th 2004, 11:18 am

By: News On 6

LINCOLN, Nebraska (AP) _ A five state low-level nuclear waste compact voted three-to-one today (Monday) to accept a settlement over Nebraska's blocking of a dump site.

Nebraska will pay $141-million under the settlement. But Nebraska will not be under any obligation to host a dump.

Nebraska officials are offering to pay Texas $25-million to have that state store the compact's nuclear waste. No agreement has been reached in that deal.

The compact voted three-to-one to accept the settlement with Nebraska. Kansas voted ``NO'' and Nebraska did NOT take part in the vote.

US District Judge Richard Kopf of Lincoln ruled in 2002 that former Nebraska Governor Ben Nelson, now a US senator, engaged in a politically motivated plot to keep the regional dump from being built in Nebraska.

Kopf ordered Nebraska to pay $151-million in damages plus interest.

The dump was to be built in Boyd County in the northeast part of Nebraska. It was to take waste from the compact, which consists of Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Arkansas.

Nebraska officials argued that they didn't license the dump because of concerns about possible pollution.