A survey of 600 Southern Nevada residents conducted in February by a Clark County consultant found that 71 percent would vote against the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste project if they had a chance to, according to a statement Wednesday from county planners.

More than two-thirds of the respondents thought that if the project goes forward and a repository for deadly spent fuel is built 100 miles northwest of Las Vegas, it would have a negative effect on their quality of life.

The statement quotes Irene Navis, a county planning manager, as saying, "The timing of this survey is important because Congress is currently considering a bill that could accelerate the licensing process for Yucca Mountain."