Editorial: Cutting ties does make sense

Monday, Nov. 19, 2001 | 8:50 a.m.

Last week was a busy one with respect to Yucca Mountain. It started with the Department of Energy's acknowledgement that it wouldn't consider in its suitability study the potential impact of terrorism on the transportation and the storage of high-level nuclear waste, a decision that makes no sense -- especially after Sept. 11. A couple of days later the DOE's inspector general reported that a law firm working for the Yucca Mountain Project had failed to disclose to the DOE that it simultaneously was lobbying for a nuclear power industry trade group. The DOE has long been accused of being in bed with the nuclear power industry, but even this conflict of interest was shocking.

As if there wasn't plenty already to give Nevadans heartburn, last week ended with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's announcement that it would put on a full-court press to try to get a nuclear waste dump built in Nevada. In response, the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce -- the third largest chamber in the nation -- is exploring the possibility of ending its membership with the parent organization. The Henderson and Boulder City chambers could end their ties, too (the North Las Vegas chamber isn't affiliated with the national group).

A withdrawal certainly is warranted, and it should be noted that Henderson chamber President Ron Meek wants to contact local chambers elsewhere in the nation about the possibility of their withdrawal. Don't forget that dozens of cities are located near the rail and road routes over which the nuclear waste would have to travel to get here. Since the federal government is planning on storing 77,000 tons of nuclear waste here, that means there could be thousands of opportunities for accidents or even acts of terrorism. This isn't just a Nevada issue, it's one that would endanger residents of cities that happen to be in the path of major rail routes and highways.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce's support of the Yucca Mountain Project is part of a larger agenda by business groups to weaken environmental protections and promote polluting industries. They believe the Bush White House is more hospitable to their ideas than the Clinton administration was, a situation that has emboldened them to advocate ideas that place a premium on the interests of industry -- no matter how damaging it might be for the environment or public safety. The U.S. chamber's simple-minded promotion of industry at any cost is one that the overwhelming majority of Americans have rejected -- and we hope that the Bush administration has the good sense to ignore the U.S. chamber's endorsement of the Yucca Mountain Project.