Washington news briefs for July 11, 2000

Tuesday, July 11, 2000 | 10:48 a.m.

County control bill goes to Clinton

WASHINGTON -- The House on Monday passed a Senate-approved bill that transfers a part of the Las Vegas water-delivery system from federal to county control, which should make it easier for local officials to maintain it with fewer red-tape hassles. The bill will be sent to President Clinton for signature.

The Robert B. Griffith Water Project would be transferred from the Bureau of Reclamation to the Southern Nevada Water Authority.

The bill also authorized the Bureau of Reclamation to sell Hoover Dam publications, education materials and special copper Hoover Dam coins. The bureau would use the sales to offset a debt created by the construction of the dam visitor center and parking areas, completed five years ago at roughly $90 million over budget.

The bill was supported by Nevada's four-member delegation.

Gore answers Internet queries

Presidential contender Al Gore answered questions from Internet users Monday, briefly fielding a query about Yucca Mountain.

"With current scientific knowledge of the Yucca Mountain Permanent Waste Repository, will you recommend that the site be built if elected as president?" an unnamed online questioner from Manhattan, Kan., asked. Kansas has one nuclear power plant near Burlington, Kan., about 113 miles from Manhattan, the home of Kansas State University.

Gore's full answer: "We don't have the results of the full scientific analysis yet. The decision should be based strictly on the science and not on politics."

Nevadans have been keenly interested in the position of Vice President Gore and Republican opponent Gov. George W. Bush on the issue of Yucca Mountain. Both have made similar comments in the past that decisions should not be politically motivated. Neither has said they oppose the proposal outright.

The Department of Energy has been studying Yucca, 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas, as the only possible site for a permanent repository for the nation's nuclear waste. Officials are expected to complete their studies of whether Yucca is a suitable site within the next year.

The Washington Post's website at washingtonpost.com hosted the Gore chat.