Editorial: Sierra Pacific makes right call on waste

Thursday, Nov. 11, 1999 | 9:22 a.m.

When Sierra Pacific Resources -- the parent company of Nevada Power -- announced it would acquire Portland General Electric it raised a side issue: What would be Sierra Pacific Resource's view on the disposal of high-level nuclear waste now that it would soon own a decommissioned PGE nuclear power plant in Oregon? After all, Nevada has no nuclear power plants and resisted efforts to build a high-level nuclear waste repository here.

The nuclear power industry has fought hard to get a repository placed in Nevada -- despite geologic evidence showing how dangerous this would be. So it was refreshing to see a Sierra Pacific Resources executive tell the Sun's Richard Velotta in a Wednesday story that the company doesn't believe Nevada should have to accept nuclear waste. "We don't believe any state should be forced to take shipment of something its citizens don't want," said Steve Oldham, the company's vice president for strategic development.

It is hoped that Sierra Pacific Resource's policy doesn't change, either as a result of pressure from Oregonians who want to rid themselves of the waste or from other utilities with nuclear power plants that desperately want to see a repository built in Nevada.