(Editor's note: John Bonfatti wrote this post last week.
Bonfatti died overnight Thursday.) John F. Bonfatti writes about
environmental issues for The News. Today he fills us in on a
slow-moving project out west that will delay the cleanup of
nuclear waste at West Valley. The potential of nuclear energy
was demonstrated here. The answer to its chief pitfall -- what
to do with the deadly waste it generates -- will also be located
here, if the federal government has its way. The government has
already spent $9 billion to burrow the tunnels that are being
used to try to test whether the proposed long-range nuclear
waste repository will safely protect waste that will remain
highly radioactive for thousands of years. It was originally
supposed to open 10 years ago, but has still not been given
final approval. The earliest date it could possibly open now is
2020 -- and that's probably optimistic, given the deep
opposition to it in the state in which its located, Nevada. As
part of a deal it made with the utilities