Letter: DOE ignores opponents at Yucca hearing

Friday, Sept. 7, 2001 | 4:43 a.m.

The U.S. Department of Energy did a poor job during Wednesday's public comment hearing on the Yucca Mountain Project, a meeting held inside the DOE's barbed-wire compound in North Las Vegas. The symbolism of forcing the meeting to be held there, while disregarding Gov. Kenny Guinn's suggestion to use Cashman Field, contributed to some raucous behavior.

The vast majority of the crowd was opposed to Yucca Mountain, and some gave studied reasons for their opposition. Nevadans do not go to these meetings to vent. They go in the mistaken belief that the DOE will "consider" their commentary, but the DOE doesn't.

Nevadans will not accept an inequitable, unfair and political DOE decision that isn't scientific and violates our state sovereignty and Nevadans' constitutional rights.

We should ratchet up the fight and join with Stephen Cloobeck, who is leading Save Nevada, the grass-roots campaign in opposition to the dump, to remind Congress that the flawed 1987 legislation, which singled out only Yucca Mountain for consideration, should be reversed.

Our message to Congress and the president: Don't dump on us.

FRANK PERNA