Editorial: Bush’s missive falls short

Monday, Oct. 2, 2000 | 9:22 a.m.

Gov. George W. Bush, after months of prodding, finally has provided some specifics regarding his views on nuclear waste storage. In a letter last week to Republican Gov. Kenny Guinn, the GOP presidential nominee said he would veto any legislation that would create an interim nuclear waste repository in Nevada. That certainly is promising news after repeated efforts by the Republican-led Congress to create a so-called "interim repository," which would be in name only, because once it's sent here it would never leave. But Bush's belated statement still raises questions as to just how committed he is to ensuring that Nevadans are treated fairly in the government's investigation into whether Nevada is suitable as a permanent nuclear waste repository.

For instance, Democratic presidential nominee Al Gore has made his views known on nuclear waste storage for some time now. After President Clinton in April vetoed legislation earlier this year that would have weakened health and safety standards for a proposed repository at Nevada's Yucca Mountain, Gore immediately said he agreed with the president's decision, a veto that Republican congressional leaders denounced. Bush, meanwhile, said nothing. Then at a campaign stop in Nevada in September, Gore declared that he would veto an interim nuclear waste storage site. Again, silence from Bush -- until Friday.

Now that recent polls show the race tightening in Nevada, and Nevada Republicans growing worried that Bush's silence could hurt them also, Bush finally clarified his stand. But it is disheartening that he addresses the issue only by sending out written statements. Bush won't field questions from the Nevada media on nuclear waste storage and a host of other issues important to this state. So far Bush has only visited Nevada once -- and even then he ducked questions from local reporters. In contrast, Gore sat down with members of the local media recently, directly answering their questions about Yucca Mountain.

Bush's sincerity on this matter also is questionable in light of the fact that one of his biggest fund-raisers is Tom Kuhn, the president of the Edison Electric Institute, which is the lobbying arm for electric companies that want to send nuclear waste to Nevada. Bush also is advocating that the United States renew efforts to increase the use of nuclear power, which means that even more deadly waste will be produced. The statement was nice, but it smacks of "me-too" politics, a desperate bid to shore up his support in a state that now is a toss-up in the presidential election.