Nuclear waste fight raises some concerns

Tuesday, April 17, 2001 | 10:40 a.m.

Sen. Ray Rawson, R-Las Vegas, said Monday that too much discussion about the transportation of nuclear waste across the country to southern Nevada could hurt tourism in Las Vegas.

Pointing out the dangers of nuclear waste to residents in other states where the material is being stored could also work against Nevada, Rawson said.

Residents elsewhere might decide Nevada is right and work even harder to get the waste out of their back yards and to Yucca Mountain, he said.

Yucca Mountain, 100 miles northwest of Las Vegas, is the only site being studied to entomb the nation's highly radioactive waste.

The comments came as the Senate Finance Committee heard testimony on SB494, a proposal from Gov. Kenny Guinn to establish a $5 million fund to fight creation of the high-level radioactive waste dump.

Marybel Batjer, Guinn's chief of staff, told the panel that $4 million of the fund is proposed for use in hiring expert legal help to fight Yucca Mountain's designation as a repository by the Energy Department.

The other $1 million would be used to educate residents in other states about the dangers of having nuclear waste shipped through their communities if the dump was to be built at Yucca Mountain.

Batjer said the governor is aware of the potential risks in such a campaign and will proceed carefully.

The campaign's intent is to focus on the risks in other communities on the nuclear shipment routes, not the transportation of waste through Nevada itself, she said.

"The governor feels very strongly that protecting Nevada from nuclear waste is the most important issue facing Nevada now and into the future," Batjer said.

The proposal was supported by Attorney General Frankie Sue Del Papa and Brian McKay, a former state attorney general who is chairman of the Commission on Nuclear Projects.

Del Papa said the state must be ready to defend its position as the Energy Department readies its decision on whether to find Yucca Mountain suitable for the dump.

"Simply stated, Nevada is gearing up for the fight of its life," she said.