Editorial: Nuke power regulator provokes Nevada’s ire

Wednesday, April 14, 1999 | 11:55 a.m.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is the agency that would have to ensure that the public's health and safety would not be in jeopardy if Yucca Mountain is selected to store high-level nuclear waste. So state officials understandably were upset when they discovered the NRC stated in a recent federal report that shipping high-level nuclear waste through Las Vegas would only slightly increase the risk of radioactive exposure to residents.

The Sun's Mary Manning reported Tuesday that state and county officials weren't informed of the NRC study, even though the agency was using state and county planning documents to arrive at its conclusion. State officials contend the NRC ignored recent statistics showing increased traffic congestion and an upswing in traffic fatalities.

It also is troubling that the NRC estimated that Yucca Mountain could contain 126,000 tons of radioactive waste, demonstrating ignorance of federal law that states that if Yucca Mountain is selected it would contain no more than 77,000 tons. If these developments are any indication as to how the NRC would determine licensing standards for a high-level nuclear waste repository, Nevadans are justified in worrying about the agency's objectivity.