Senators, Abraham talk counterterrorism school

Benjamin Grove

Friday, Nov. 16, 2001 | 9:52 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham is mulling the plan to establish a national counter-terrorist training school at the Nevada Test Site, Sens. Harry Reid, D-Nev., and John Ensign, R-Nev., said.

The two senators sat down with Abraham in a rare meeting at Department of Energy headquarters here Thursday and the Nevadans made a pitch for establishing what is tentatively being called the National Center for Counter-Terrorism. Abraham said he wanted to visit the Test Site early next year, Reid spokesman Nathan Naylor said.

"Secretary Abraham's visit signals that the United States is one step closer to having a national boot camp for our counter-terrorism first responders," Reid said in a statement. "One day soon, thousands of additional police, fire and rescue workers will come to this counter-terrorism Top Gun, to learn from the best-of-the-best about how to protect America from any future attack on our homeland."

Abraham is "very interested" in the plan, DOE spokesman Joe Davis confirmed, although it is too early to tell if he would commit support. Other areas of the nation also would like more money for counter-terrorism training. Details, such as a project timeline, were not discussed.

Nevada lawmakers have long advocated the proposal. They renewed the effort after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

"Creating an anti-terrorism training facility could also mean high-paying, high-quality jobs to the state of Nevada," Ensign said.

The Nevada Test Site already is the site of training for local, state and federal emergency responders nationwide who attend weapons of mass destruction training courses.

About 1,200 first responders will receive training during 25 classes through August 2002, Test Site officials said. Typical training classes last four days. The training includes simulated accidents with hazardous materials.

But Nevada lawmakers want to expand the training even further to include a wider variety of training for far more law enforcement and military combatants as well as and emergency response teams.

Possible executive action by the Bush administration, plus congressional legislation, likely would be needed to establish the school, Naylor said. An arm of the Department of Energy manages the site, which is why Abraham's visit would be important.

The 1,375-square mile Test Site is larger than Rhode Island, secure and remote, its border roughly 65 miles northwest of Las Vegas. Sun reporter

Mary Manning contributed to this article.