Columnist Jeff German: Gaming has sat out nuke dump fight long enough

Sunday, Nov. 14, 1999 | 9:39 a.m.

Jeff German is the Sun's senior investigative reporter. Reach him at german@ lasvegassun.com or 259-4067.

NEVADA'S two Democratic senators, Harry Reid and Richard Bryan, last week again managed to delay an inevitable vote on bringing high-level nuclear waste to Nevada.

Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott of Mississippi told Reid the nuclear waste bill won't be brought up before Congress adjourns for the year this week.

But a Lott spokesman said a vote likely would take place early in 2000 when Congress reconvenes.

The bill allows the nation's nuclear power plants to begin sending their waste to a storage site 90 miles from Las Vegas as early as 2007.

For the past 12 years, Reid and Bryan have been leading the fight on Capitol Hill against overwhelming odds.

And they've been doing it for the most part without strong backing from the state's most important industry -- gaming.

Amazing as it sounds, the wealthy casino industry, which has stepped up its political clout on Capitol Hill, has stood silent on this issue of great importance to the safety of Nevadans.

Gaming has stayed out of the fray even though it may have the most to lose if the deadly waste finds its way to our highways.

Imagine the effect on tourism if a tractor-trailer from a nuclear plant back East overturns on Interstate 15 and spills its radioactive goo. It could lead to some creative advertising on the part of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority: "Come to Las Vegas, everyone. Odds are you'll leave here with a glow on your face."

The casino industry, it seems, is quick to mobilize when its massive profits are threatened.

The battle with the NCAA over its campaign to ban betting on college sports is the latest example.

Last week, as Reid and Bryan fought to put off debate on the nuclear waste bill, American Gaming Association President Frank Fahrenkopf flew to Las Vegas to meet with casino executives to map out a strategy in the fight against the sports betting ban.

The industry is furious with the NCAA, and rightly so. Taking away betting on college games will cut into business and hurt tourism.

But what about the long-term future of the industry? Why hasn't gaming taken a greater interest in the fight to stop nuclear waste from coming here? When will the industry figure out that this issue is the greatest threat to Nevada's well-being?

Fahrenkopf, the industry's chief Washington lobbyist, says he has opposed the nuclear waste dump and knows that it can have a negative impact on Nevada tourism. But he adds his board has never given him any direction on whether to become involved in the fight.

It's an incredibly honest, yet startling admission.

Some now believe the time has come for gaming to get its hands dirty in this crucial fight.

The industry has gone to great lengths to cultivate cordial ties with Lott, who comes from a state where gaming thrives.

There can be no greater friend on Capitol Hill than Lott, who wields much influence in the Senate. The same is true of House Speaker Dennis Hastert, who has riverboat casinos in his Illinois district.

Both Republicans have been to Las Vegas to raise campaign money. Hastert left the city in August with $600,000 in his pocket.

Lott was equally successful two years ago, when he flew here from Washington on a Mirage Resorts jet to collect a bundle of campaign dough from the industry. Fahrenkopf, who once chaired the Republican National Committee, played a role in bringing Lott to Las Vegas.

On issues relating to business, there is little question that Lott and Hastert have been friends to the industry. But they have been enemies on nuclear waste. The two congressional leaders, facing much pressure from the nuclear industry, have been anxious to see a vote on the waste bill.

Hence the feeling that a vote is inevitable.

But why hasn't the casino industry used its own clout to put pressure on its friends in Washington? Why hasn't it given Reid and Bryan a hand in the fight against the dump?

Maybe the new millennium will bring a change in attitude. Maybe gaming will start to see the bigger picture.