Washington - President Barack Obama wants to end $26 billion in oil and gas industry tax breaks, calling them "unjustifiable loopholes" in the tax system that other companies do not get.

    Obama's proposed fiscal 2010 budget, details of which were released Thursday, also more clearly spells out his intention to shut down a proposed nuclear waste dump at Yucca Mountain in Nevada and calls for ending a government subsidy that helps utilities license and plan for new nuclear power plants.

    The oil and gas industry tax breaks have often been targeted by congressional Democrats in recent years, but they have not been able to muster enough votes to rescind them. Most Republicans and the Bush administration vigorously defended the tax benefits, saying they're needed to boost domestic oil and gas development.

    In the budget statement, Obama said the tax breaks, which are expected to save the oil and gas industry more than $26 billion over the next 10 years, are "unjustifiable loopholes ... costly to the American taxpayer and do little to incentivize production or reduce energy prices."

    The White House last February outlined in general terms its proposed budget for the fiscal year beginning in October. But the documents released Thursday provided details including specific numbers.

    The budget would provide $197 million for the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste project in Nevada, but directs that the money be spent to "explore alternatives" to the Nevada site and ongoing licensing activities that have yet to be terminated. It provides no money for site access, new engineering or land purchases.

    Closing down the Yucca project 90 miles from Las Vegas has long been a relentless ambition of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev. Obama, during his presidential campaign, promised Nevada voters that he would look for other ways to address the disposal of highly radioactive waste from commercial power plants.

    Obama also wants to end a research program for using nuclear power plants to develop hydrogen fuel for transportation and cancel further subsidies to the nuclear industry to help license and plan for new nuclear power reactors. The budget eliminates $168 million that had been earmarked for the reactor program next fiscal year.

    A program to develop a more reliable nuclear warhead that the Bush administration had touted as necessary for easier maintenance of the country's aging nuclear stockpile also was singled out for elimination. The budget cuts $60 million that had been earmarked for design work for the replacement warhead.