Editorial: An inane idea from up north

Wednesday, June 14, 2000 | 10:15 a.m.

Just when you thought the bizarre musings from Elko County had reached their zenith, a recent item from the Elko Daily Free Press quickly disabuses you of that notion. The Northern Nevada newspaper reported Friday that the Elko County Commission has greeted warmly a proposal that would result in Nevada giving up its fight against the storage of high-level nuclear waste in the state -- in return for receiving control of land that currently is owned by the federal government.

Maybe we shouldn't be surprised Elko County officials would look favorably upon such a scenario, the net effect of which would result in this state becoming the nation's dumping ground for 77,000 tons of man's deadliest waste. After all, Elko County officials already have demonstrated in recent years their contempt for the environment. Don't forget they used a grand jury to harass state wildlife officials and, most recently, Elko County officials say they will defy the Forest Service and rebuild a washed-out road near the Jarbidge River, an action that conservationists say will threaten the endangered bull trout.

Talk about seeking concessions from the federal government isn't just coming from Elko County, though. Even Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman recently said that if it became apparent that a repository at Nevada's Yucca Mountain was a "done deal," the state should consider negotiating for federal funds in return. It still is amazing, though, that any elected official, wherever they live in Nevada, would contemplate jeopardizing the health and safety of this state's residents by negotiating with the federal government on this issue. Besides, only a fool would believe that Congress, which has done everything in its power to force this poison upon us, would suddenly become munificent and either turn over land or pay money to Nevada if the state willingly accepted a repository.