Where I Stand — Brian Greenspun: We’ve only just begun

Friday, Jan. 12, 2001 | 9:43 a.m.

Brian Greenspun is editor of the Las Vegas Sun.

IT WILL BE the first of many.

One of the risks of writing about a meeting before it actually takes place is that with all the analytical, speculative and coincidental skills one might muster to predict an outcome, the odds are good that you would still be wrong. That was the case with Thursday's column in which I thanked Stephen Cloobeck -- as a father, a newspaper editor and a member of this community -- for taking the bull by the horns and calling together all facets of the community to make something happen regarding nuclear waste.

I was wrong when I said that people were energized. I was wrong when I predicted people would leave the meeting with a desire to do more to stop the forces of political nature that seem hell bent on dooming Nevada to a life as the radioactive garbageman for the rest of time. And I was wrong in even thinking that Cloobeck's first effort would draw 40 or 50 people.

The good news is that I was wrong because I was too conservative in my estimates. Save for a couple of people with opinions that favored the dump, which included a comment from state Sen. Bill O'Donnell that suggested we just throw up our hands and let it happen to us, the close to 100 members of this community who showed up to learn what they could about the coming peril took away with them a set of facts that, as conservative as the numbers were, would lead any rational person to take up arms.

What happens from here, of course, may tell the story about whether President George W. Bush chooses Nevada as the one and only place in the country to dump the deadliest poison man has yet to create when he gets the chance later this year. What happens from here will determine whether a community that has always talked against the radioactive garbage dump just 90 miles from Las Vegas will actually walk as far as it takes to make sure it does not happen. And what happens from here will determine the kind and quality of community we will live in for the next quarter-century and, specifically, the kind and quality of people with whom we will live.

Steve managed to get the Clark County Government Center to open its doors to the citizens for this meeting. What better place than the seat of the government that will be most devastated should the dump get here and the worst occurs? With the hall, of course, came an enthusiastic opponent of the dump in the person of Clark County Commissioner Myrna Williams, who has been as steadfast as any Nevadan in her opposition, whether from her county chambers or from her seat in the Nevada Legislature that she held in an earlier life. Myrna arranged for members of the Clark County Department of Comprehensive Planning to share some of their findings and projections with the audience.

Since facts are almost always better than a good ol' emotional argument, let me share a little of what we heard.

First of all, the Department of Energy is supposed to write an Environmental Impact Statement, which is supposed to include the various impacts on the environment, including the communities that surround and abut the dumpsite and the transportation routes contemplated. As best we can tell, those responsible for the study have determined that there are no adverse impacts on Clark County. Actually, they ignored us.

In a resolution passed by the County Commission early last year, the county found that the draft impact statement "fails to consider potential public health and safety effects from the transportation of nuclear waste through Clark County," and "despite dependence of Clark County on the volatile economic sector of tourism," the statement failed to "evaluate impacts to Clark County's economy ...," and "notwithstanding the potential impacts that could occur from the transportation of the nuclear waste, other socioeconomic issues such as quality of life and stigma effects" are also not evaluated.

In short, whatever the impact statement assessed, it had nothing to do with the people who live, work and play in Clark County. The answer to "why not?" is obvious. Let me share a bit of what the county has so far considered.

There will be a minimum of six trucks each and every day for 24 years rolling through our city on Interstates 15 and 215 and U.S. 95. They will consist of what is called heavy haul convoys, which can stretch 300 feet (that's a football field in length) traveling around 15-20 miles per hour. On the freeway! Except, of course, when those trucks hit the spaghetti bowl and slow to a crawl. That's when Mom and the kiddies can read the "keep back, nuclear waste" signs up close and personal. Based on very conservative estimates, Clark County predicts 3-5 accidents. The federal government and the politicians are telling us that there will be no accidents. Pick a number over 10 and you will be far closer to the truth.

If the county is right, the maximum clean-up cost for those accidents will run close to $30 billion. Not bad for a county that is insured to only $6 billion. As for our homeowners polices, there is no coverage at all. The county figures there will only be as many as 18 deaths due to the accidents but that couldn't possibly include the thousands of Las Vegans who would be exposed and not know it for at least 20 years.

The increased costs for public health and safety cannot even be calculated at this time, but they do know that tourism will drop up to 10 percent -- just with the announcement that Las Vegas wins the dump lottery! There is a potential of a 25 percent loss of convention business and who knows how much more when an accident occurs.

Local business people anticipate significant impact on their businesses -- up to 75 percent of them -- which means a loss of revenues and a resulting loss of jobs. The greatest impact, according to the county's findings, will be in tourism, professional services and health services. There will be a serious decline in personal investments in Southern Nevada with the job losses hitting the most vulnerable levels of the job market.

I hope you get the picture by now. Steve Cloobeck and all of those who came to the meeting get it, and it is our intention to make sure that everyone in Clark County understands this message, because it is no longer something that could happen years from now. The decision to bury the nation's nuclear garbage near Las Vegas will happen later this year -- if not sooner -- unless all members of the community at all levels of the business, social and political strata get off the dime and go to work.

There will be a citizens group formed and, although he doesn't know it yet, retired Sen. Richard Bryan will be approached as a potential leader to get the word out across this country and into the hallowed halls of Congress where this battle may be fought. Whoever leads the effort and however it is done, the fact remains that it will not be successful unless the people are fully behind the effort.

That means that not only must the Chamber of Commerce go on the record immediately in full opposition, but also encourage its members to help educate and activate those with whom they work. That means that the Nevada Resort Association and the other hotels who will see their stocks plummet along with their businesses need to put their mouths where there substantial dollars have gone and implore those in Congress who have benefited from the good times in Las Vegas to make sure they continue by not supporting the dump experience. And that means that our elected officials -- Democrats and Republicans -- band together on this one to make sure we speak with one voice.

This is a special opportunity for Gov. Kenny Guinn and his adviser to the stars, Sig Rogich, to show the strength of their relationship with the new president and the man they persuaded Nevadans to support. And this is an opportunity for the gambling community to show those of us who live and work here that they think of more than the next quarter's results, which is a position as much in their interests as our own.

With everyone committed and pulling together we can make an impact and, perhaps, stave off the dire predictions being made in the county's assessment and ignored in the government's by stopping the dump movement and starting something more meaningful and appropriate by finding the proper long-term solution for the nuclear waste.

One thing is certain. There will be more meetings and much more action because that is the only chance we've got. Those who think otherwise, the line forms behind that glow over there.

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