The federal government Monday asked a court to dismiss a lawsuit that the California Department of Health Services and the would-be operator of the site filed against the U.S. Department of Interior.
Federal officials contend the state's application to acquire the site is improper.
The Clinton administration action probably will prove fatal to the project, said Peter Baldridge, a lawyer for the state Department of Health Services. Negotiations over acquisition of federal land in far eastern San Bernardino County had hit roadblocks over concerns about the safety of storing nuclear waste. The site lies 20 miles from the Colorado River, a major source of California water. In addition, Colorado River Indian tribes and anti-nuclear activists joined forces to protest the proposed transfer. Wilson repeatedly has accused Clinton and U.S. Department of Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt of dragging their feet over the land transfer.