Court allows lawsuit seeking to open Yucca

(AP) - A federal appeals court has ruled that a lawsuit seeking to relaunch plans for a Yucca Mountain nuclear dump can go forward.

The Las Vegas Sun reported Friday that the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C., has lifted its stay on a lawsuit that claims the federal Department of Energy cannot scrap the project.

The Department of Energy has until Jan. 3 to file a brief defending its authority to shut down the site.

The states of Washington and South Carolina and the National Association of Utility Regulators filed the suit that insists only Congress can decide Yucca Mountain's fate.

The plans were to bury at least 77,000 tons of highly radioactive spent nuclear fuel 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas. Opponents worry about contamination.