Resolution on Yucca sparks feud

Tuesday, March 20, 2001 | 9:48 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Attorney General Frankie Sue Del Papa says a transportation resolution by Sen. Bill O'Donnell "sends the wrong message that Nevada is willing to accept a high-level nuclear waste repository" as long as the material is hauled by rail outside of Las Vegas.

O'Donnell says the state must make every effort to avoid the "real and terrible threat" that trucks hauling the deadly waste will travel through metropolitan Las Vegas. He said that is why he sponsored Senate Joint Resolution 4.

"It is not the intent of SJR4 to send a message to the federal government that Nevada is caving in on the repository issue," O'Donnell said. "However, it is the intent of the resolution to plan ahead to protect the most populated region in Nevada if the repository is forced upon us."

Del Papa, through her solicitor general, Tony Clark, sent letters to O'Donnell's Transportation Committee urging the defeat of the resolution.

"It is imperative that the state continues to present a unified front to the nation that Nevada does not accept the inevitability of the Yucca Mountain Project," said Clark, noting the Legislature passed a resolution calling on Congress and the president to reject Yucca Mountain.

Clark said no decision has been made by the Energy Department to recommend Yucca Mountain. The resolution, said the solicitor general, not only sends the wrong message, but it is unnecessary.

"The state already has the authority to designate alternative routes for the transportation of radioactive materials under the Hazardous Materials Uniform Safety Act," Clark said.

If Nevada is unsuccessful in its fight against Yucca Mountain "there will be at least 10 years to consider and to address the transportation issues," Clark said.

Clark also said putting the rail transportation route in rural Nevada would "transfer the risks of accidents to those areas ill-equipped to handle a radiological disaster."

O'Donnell questioned what message Del Papa wanted to send to Washington, D.C.

"Would you prefer to send the message that it is perfectly all right to ship the deadly nuclear waste over our highways and through our neighborhoods in Southern Nevada? Do you really want to allow truck after truck loaded with this hazardous cargo to be stuck in traffic on the Spaghetti Bowl in Las Vegas?

"Well, that will be the situation if we do not recognize the real and terrible threat this state faces if we do not immediately make every effort to prevent the shipment of nuclear waste on our highways and streets in the Las Vegas Valley. Anything less would be irresponsible and a dereliction of our duty as public servants to protect the health and safety of our citizens."

O'Donnell said Del Papa is ignoring the fact that Yucca Mountain is the only site being studied.

"Are we to wait and pretend that there is no chance that the Yucca Mountain site will be designated for the national nuclear waste repository? I think not."

If the state has the authority to designate the routes, why hasn't it done so, O'Donnell asked.

"Rather than criticizing my proposal, you should be supporting the construction of a railroad to keep these highly dangerous materials outside the most populated area in Nevada," he told Del Papa.

O'Donnell, noting the state has 10 years to decide the transportation issue, said that allows time to develop properly trained and equipped emergency response teams.

"Although I will continue to pray that no site in Nevada is chosen to store nuclear waste, I urge you and my fellow citizens to be pragmatic and require that the best plans be made to deal with the transportation of this hazardous material," O'Donnell said.