H.R. 8378. The Nuclear Waste Policy Act. The vote is on the Kostmayer amendment to allow states to veto a federally selected nuclear waste site within their borders, unless both House and Senate voted to override their veto. No safe and dependable way to store nuclear wastes has yet been demonstrated. It is important that the safest possible method and location be discovered before these lethal wastes are buried or dumped permanently. Yet the federal government has repeatedly tried to store the wastes in places that turned out not to be completely safe, and then backed off as public resistance increased. Local citizens and officials have no legal role now in the site selection process; all decisions are made at the federal level. The Senate passed a bill allowing the states to veto a nuclear waste site if one House of Congress would agree. Kostmayer maintained that since local citizens are most affected by a nuclear waste site, their views should prevail unless they are so clearly wrong that both House and Senate vote to override their veto and force them to accept a nuclear waste site. Rejected 161-218. December 3, 1980. YES is the correct vote.