Nevada senators say Richardson would oppose storage at Test Site

Friday, May 8, 1998 | 10:30 a.m.

Bill Richardson, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and former New Mexico congressman, has emerged as a candidate for energy secretary.

Sens. Harry Reid and Richard Bryan, both D-Nev., said Richardson would oppose temporary nuclear waste storage at the Nevada Test Site.

Congress is considering a bill to place highly radioactive wastes from commercial reactors in Nevada until the U.S. Department of Energy determines whether Yucca Mountain, 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas, can entomb it safely.

President Clinton vows to veto nuclear waste storage in Nevada and Reid and Bryan say they have enough votes to uphold a veto.

Reid noted that Richardson began serving seven terms in Congress in 1982, the same year the Nevada senator arrived in Washington, D.C.

"Bill Richardson talked to me last week," Reid said, adding that if offered the job, he will give it serious consideration. "He would be good for Nevada."

Bryan said that Richardson, similar to outgoing Energy Secretary Federico Pena, does not come from a state with nuclear power and "would be fair and a good steward" on the nuclear waste issue.

White House press spokesmen denied Richardson or anyone else had an inside track on the job. President Clinton has not nominated a replacement for Pena.

Richardson may want to return to New Mexico and run for governor or try for vice president in 2000, in which case the move to the Energy Department would be favorable.

In 1996 Richardson was considered an early favorite to replace Energy Secretary Hazel O'Leary.

Instead, Clinton nominated him to be the United States representative to the United Nations in December 1996. He is also a member of the National Security Council.

He was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in January 1997. Before taking the U.N. post, Richardson earned the reputation of troubleshooter. As a congressman, he worked to free hostages in several countries including Bangladesh, Burma, Iraq and North Korea.

Richardson also coaxed Saddam Hussein to unconditionally free two American military contractors imprisoned after they crossed into Iraq from Kuwait in March 1995.

As deputy whip for the House, Richardson learned to deal with autocrats all over the world.