Columnist Jeff German: Nevada unites with Cold War foes against nuke dump

Thursday, Dec. 3, 1998 | 11:49 a.m.

There's nothing like sharing holiday cheer with some of your former Cold War adversaries.

Not too long ago, Nevada and its nuclear testing facilities outside Las Vegas symbolized the nation's resolve to stand up to the communist threat of the Soviet Union.

Today, nuclear weapons no longer are being exploded underground in Nevada and the Soviet Union doesn't exist.

The biggest threat to Nevada these days comes from the nation's wealthy energy companies who want the government to store their high-level nuclear waste underground in our backyard.

It's ironic indeed that a geologist at the Russian Academy of Sciences in the former Soviet Union has come to Nevada's aid in its bitter fight to escape from becoming America's radioactive wasteland.

This week, the scientist, Yuri Dublyansky, raised new concerns about the suitability of Yucca Mountain, 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas, as the site of the proposed nuclear waste repository.

Dublyansky has uncovered new evidence that indicates Yucca Mountain may not be stable enough to hold the deadly garbage. It seems water has seeped into the storage area.

Preliminary findings by Dublyansky suggest that the Department of Energy needs to do a lot more studying before it caves in to the nuclear utilities and settles on Yucca Mountain as the site of its permanent storage facility.

That may have something to do with Friday's visit to Yucca Mountain by Energy Secretary Bill Richardson, who has promised to be fair to Nevada before making his decision.

It may be premature to celebrate Dublyansky's findings at Yucca Mountain. But it's at least worth a Stoli and soda or two.

President Clinton had nuclear waste on his mind Wednesday when he met with Democratic congressional leaders, including Nevada Sen. Harry Reid, his party's new Senate whip.

The president took exception to criticism he received in the Washington Post for telling Sun Editor Brian Greenspun that Nevada won't be able to stop high-level waste from coming to the state if Reid failed to get re-elected.

Greenspun wrote a story on his conversation with Clinton (his good friend) in the Sun just prior to last month's election.

Clinton had suggested that without Reid in the Senate, it would be more difficult to sustain a future presidential veto of legislation sending the waste here. The president wants the site selection process to be based on merit, not politics, a position shared by Reid and Nevada's other Democratic senator, Richard Bryan.

As it turned out, Reid was re-elected by a mere 401 votes last month. So a case can be made that Clinton's last-minute boost might have been enough to put Reid over the top.

And now, the Senate's No. 2 Democrat is stronger than ever with his colleagues on Capitol Hill and in a prime position to make sure the president's veto will hold up when the time comes. The president, you see, wasn't kidding.

"I was just telling the truth," Clinton was quoted as informing the Democratic leaders on Wednesday.

Take that Monica Lewinsky.

Latest reports from the governor-elect's transition team make Control Board member Dennis Neilander a good bet to be reappointed.

The same can't be said, however, for board member Brian Harris.

The terms of both men expire at the end of the year.

Republican Gov.-elect Kenny Guinn is said to be high on Neilander, a lawyer who has experience working at the Nevada Legislature.

But Harris, a former general counsel to retiring Democratic Gov. Bob Miller, is not held in as high regard by Guinn.

If Guinn is going to make a change on the board, Harris is the one likely to get the ax.

Though he may lack political juice with Guinn, Harris has done a fine job and is well-liked by his fellow board members and employees.

Some agents loyal to Harris already have begun to lobby for his reappointment.

"There's no discontent here," says one well-placed board source. "There's no rush to see him replaced on the board."

Guinn also seems in no hurry to make his gaming appointments.