Energy chief assures Guinn on waste

Benjamin Grove

Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2001 | 11:46 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham assured Gov. Kenny Guinn today that he did not support temporary nuclear waste storage in Nevada.

"He brought up to me that he was following the stance of President Bush in not supporting interim storage," Guinn said.

But permanent storage of the nation's nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain is a different story. Abraham supported that plan as a Michigan senator. Now as Bush's top energy man, Abraham says he will review the scientific studies of Yucca -- due this year -- before he makes any judgments.

Guinn is in the nation's capital for the annual meetings of the National Governor's Association and scheduled meetings with Abraham, Interior Secretary Gale Norton, Environmental Protection Agency administrator Christine Todd Whitman and Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta.

The governor met for about 45 minutes with Abraham Monday. Guinn stressed that most Nevadans strongly oppose the plan to permanently bury 77,000 tons of nuclear waste at Yucca, 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas. He also reiterated that Nevadans oppose a proposal to store waste at an "interim" site at the Nevada Test Site, pending Yucca completion. That plan theoretically has new life with a new Congress and new president in place. But Abraham agreed that was a bad plan, Guinn said.

"He indicated to me that he wanted the people of Nevada to know that was his position," Guinn said.

Guinn also asked Abraham for help getting $5 million from Congress for state oversight of the Energy Department studies at Yucca. Nevada last year got $2.5 million. Abraham said he would try, Guinn said.

Guinn outlined the history of the Yucca plan for Abraham, who is only five weeks into his new job. Guinn also explained that he had asked the Legislature for $5 million for anti-Yucca projects, specifically money for litigation and for a media campaign to fuel anti-Yucca sentiment in other states.

"He said, 'I understand that as governor of your state you've got to do what you've got to do,' " Guinn said.

Guinn also said Abraham was planning a visit to Yucca. He promised Guinn an "open door policy."

Guinn said he encouraged Whitman to fight for the EPA's authority to set health and safety standards for Yucca Mountain. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission also has set standards for Yucca, but they are not as strict. The two agencies are at odds over whose standards are best.

"She felt the EPA should have that responsibility and that she certainly would stick with it," Guinn said.

Guinn said he urged Norton to speed approvals for power transmission lines and gas pipelines that cut through U.S. Forest and Bureau of Land Management land.

"She was very receptive to that," Guinn said.

The governor made a pitch to Mineta for more federal money for a planned Hoover Dam bypass bridge to alleviate traffic congestion on the dam. He also asked Mineta to help Nevada get a bigger share of money for federal roads on public lands.

Guinn did not have time to talk much to Mineta much about the nation's $950 high-speed million magnetic levitation train program. A Nevada-California group proposing a train route between Las Vegas and Anaheim was shut out of the competition for the money in January. Outgoing Transportation Secretary Rodney Slater chose two other routes as finalists for the federal money: a Baltimore-Washington route and one in Pittsburgh.

Guinn also said he did not have a chance to bend Bush's ear about nuclear waste or another key Nevada issue pending on Capitol Hill: a bill that would ban betting on college sports in the state's casinos.

Guinn sat next to Bush at a White House dinner Saturday night, and he and wife Dema danced alongside Bush and his wife, Laura -- at one point they were the only four on the floor. But Guinn said it wasn't appropriate to bring up the betting ban bill at a formal social occasion.