News briefs

Friday, Jan. 14, 2000 | 11:36 a.m.

Deadline for ideas drawing near

Time is running out for those who want to help state officials figure out how to configure a private foundation that would promote the adoption of wild horses and burros.

The Nevada Commission for the Preservation of Wild Horses and the federal Bureau of Land Management are trying to find better ways to publicize the federal wild horse and burro adoption program.

The State of Nevada Purchasing Division is seeking proposals from qualified firms or individuals who can outline the structure of a foundation to promote the program. Deadline for submissions is Jan. 24. Information on Request for Proposal 1129 is available on the Internet: www.state.nv.us/purchasing/ bdocs.

Senator: Remarks on waste irresponsible

Sen. Richard Bryan, D-Nev., called the nuclear industry "horribly irresponsible" Thursday for false assurances that nuclear wastes can be shipped to a proposed high-level radioactive waste repository at Yucca Mountain.

Bryan said he sent a stern letter to Nuclear Energy Institute President and CEO Joe Colvin criticizing statements of a paid consultant to the nuclear industry during environmental impact hearings in Las Vegas on Tuesday.

No field tests have been done on shipping containers for the highly radioactive wastes, which amount to thousands of shipments across the country for 24 years if Yucca Mountain, 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas, is approved as a national repository, Bryan said.

"For this organization to present itself as an authority on the testing and design of casks used to transport nuclear waste is a travesty," Bryan said.

Troopers look at Silver State records

Nevada Highway Patrol troopers inspected Silver State Disposal records Thursday as part of a safety compliance review ordered after two workers were killed in a December crash of a garbage truck.

The highway patrol would not reveal any information about the review or how long it would take to complete because it is an ongoing investigation, said Trooper Richard James, highway patrol spokesman.

The review was ordered after the Dec. 20 accident on State Highway 158 where Larry D. Mitchell, the driver, and co-worker Ilie Jones died when their truck crashed through a guardrail and plummeted 300 feet down an embankment. Highway patrol officials have said a review can be ordered in cases of fatal accidents involving commercial vehicles.

Highway patrol officials have not released the cause of the accident, stating the case is still under investigation. But officials have said there were no skid marks on the roadway indicating either a mechanical problem or that the driver didn't apply the brakes.

Silver State spokeswoman Lee Haney said the company welcomed the review and is always interested in taking "every precaution in the safety of our fleet."