Letter: California has polluted Nevada for years

Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2001 | 9:43 a.m.

California power companies have come to the desert regions, where the resources are very limited, instead of developing these facilities locally.

I can remember 25 years ago when these power companies came through Henderson and rammed the Navajo power line down our throats. When the City Council voted it down, the California power companies, with the aid of Nevada Power, came back again and again and again until they got their way.

Thus it became a 50/50 split -- California got all the power and we got all of the pollution along with the loss of resources for future expansion of our power needs. Thus California has been gouging us for years, and now that it is their turn, they are screaming like stuck hogs.

A major power plant has not been built in California in years. Since they have the entire Pacific Ocean at their disposal, most certainly a series of nuclear power plants and desalination facilities could have been built all along the coast. Then Californians could have all of the power and water they need and the minerals from the sea water besides.

It is not utility deregulation, it is the building of power generation and desalination facilities in California to meet their growing demands for power and water. Let California have the pollution for a change, and there are areas suitable for the storage of nuclear waste from these power plants.

Let Californians compare the costs of going this route with that of what they now are paying for their water and power.

ROBERT HALL