Recount Affirms Slim Nod To Fund Nuke Site

"It was a referendum on whether or not public financing to support (the company's) endeavor was the right approach," he said. "It's an important distinction."

Waste Control has stored, treated and disposed of hazardous waste at the 1,400-acre Andrews site since 1997. The new disposal facility will be within the 1,400 acres.

Melodye Pryor, a longtime opponent of the company's operation in West Texas, requested the recount, Andrews County Judge Richard Dolgener said. She was required to collect 25 signatures to call for the recount, he said.

The company hopes to have the new disposal area of the site finished in time to apply for some of $6 billion in stimulus money tied to disposing waste from federal cleanup at sites around the country, company officials have said. Those funds need to be spent by 2011, meaning a delay could have caused the company to miss out on those opportunities.

The county and the state each get 5 percent of the disposal site's annual gross revenues, part of legislation passed in recent years.

Andrews County officials are currently working on a proposal with the company that they say will provide protection to taxpayers. The company is offering to annually place in escrow a year's worth of principal and interest — about $6.6 million in the first year, and 100 percent of Waste Control's stock and $75 million of parent company Valhi Inc.'s stock as collateral.