Guinn’s Yucca Mountain tour bolsters his opposition to dump

Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2000 | 10:57 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Gov. Kenny Guinn said today his tour of Yucca Mountain has heightened his opposition to a high-level nuclear dump in Southern Nevada.

"I'm more adamant now," the governor said in talking about his objections to the U.S. Department of Energy locating a repository at Yucca Mountain, 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas.

The governor toured the proposed dump location and the Nevada Test Site Monday -- the first sitting governor to visit Yucca Mountain.

"They (the DOE) did not try to sell me," Guinn said. "They know my position. I still have the same concerns and more."

Getting a firsthand view gives a better picture of how close the proposed site is to some populated areas.

The location, he said "is not as far away as we think," from populated areas. At the top of the mountain, he said he saw Tonopah.

"It's less than 20 miles over the hill," said Guinn, noting also it was close to the California border. And he could see how the water drains.

He toured the exiting tunnels at Yucca Mountain and said one of his most serious objections is water. Nuclear waste is hot and will be stored in casks. But those containers will heat up. That in turn heats up the surrounding rock structure and if water is present in any degree in the rock, it could rust the containers and eventually cause them to leak, Guinn said.

He visited the site because it was "most important to get my bearings and orientation of geography." In past hearings in Washington, D.C., he's been asked if he has ever toured the location, and he has had to admit he had not.

"This gives me a better understanding," than just looking at a map," he said. "I can look somebody in the eye and say 'I have,' " firsthand knowledge of the area.

The governor also toured a secure facility at the Test Site where nuclear devices could be dismantled in case of an accident, such a nuclear weapon falling from a plane and not exploding.

It's important, he said, to view this facility because the "governor of the state will have to deal with the president" if a mishap of this nature occurred.

The governor also flew over the area where low-level nuclear waste is being stored. He said "it looked safe, but I'm not an expert."