Yucca funding debate bogs down

Adrienne Packer

Wednesday, April 3, 2002 | 10:50 a.m.

Territorial politics crept into the state's fight against the proposed Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository as Clark County commissioners Tuesday withheld a decision to contribute an additional $3 million to fund the campaign against the dump.

Commissioners, angry that state officials are asking Clark County to tap its coffers again, opted to delay further contributions until their budget is scrutinized and state legislators show they too are financially committed to the Yucca battle.

Clark County has already given $1 million to the state's $6 million fund to fight the dump.

"We need to send a message to the Legislature that three-fourths of the state's population lives in Southern Nevada," Commissioner Myrna Williams, a former state lawmaker, said. "If they want to be states people, they need to represent the entire state. Nevada cannot exist without our being healthy."

Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio, R-Reno, called it "preposterous" that the Yucca Mountain funding issue has become a north-south battle. But he said if Clark County doesn't think the funding is useful, that doesn't help the drive to get state money.

Seeing Nevada outgunned by the nuclear industry, which spent $25 million lobbying Congress in 2000 -- the last time Yucca Mountain came before that body, Sens. Harry Reid, D-Nev., and John Ensign, R-Nev., asked Gov. Kenny Guinn to call a special legislative session to appropriate $10 million for a television and grass-roots campaign.

Guinn said he will instead ask an interim legislative committee for a portion of the money, and he has called on local governments to pitch in.

Raggio said the state is not able to come up with $10 million and other parties have to chip in. He said he spoke to Reid about getting money from other sources.

Nevada already has a $6 million fund to cover lobbying and legal expenses related to fighting the proposed dump, but state leaders say they need more to fight the nuclear industry's powerful lobbying efforts.

Clark County officials were frustrated by reports that Guinn intends to request only $3 million from the Interim Finance Committee, a combination of the Senate Finance Committee and the Assembly's Ways and Means Committee.

If Guinn asked for all the funding that's available -- about $8.8 million -- the county would be more willing to pitch in the remaining $1.2 million to reach the goal, county leaders said.

"If this is such a critical issue that is going to damage and hurt the state of Nevada, why are we the only ones ever asked to support it?" Commissioner Yvonne Atkinson Gates said.

State lawmakers have shown little support for appropriating the money as the state budget has a $100 million shortfall.

Raggio said the finance committee will look at the issue and determine whether the program is "useful." The plan by Guinn to take half of the money from an emergency fund in the state Transportation Department and the other half from the Interim Finance Committee's emergency fund "is not an issue," he said.

The question, he said, is whether the $3 million will be useful in fighting plans for the dump.

Guinn, who on Monday will veto President Bush's decision to approve the dump 90 miles outside of Las Vegas, has said it would be easier to get the 21-member committee to approve his request after local governments agree to add more money to the fight.

Several committee members have agreed, saying they would need a "buy-in" from Clark County before going forth with the state funding.

Guinn was ill Tuesday and could not be reached for comment.

His spokesman, Greg Bortolin, said the governor will still seek $3 million from the committee when it meets April 10.

"There are only so many windows of opportunity," Bortolin said. "The governor has decided on the course of action to take regardless of what Clark County or anyone else does."

The county's portion, according to an opinion issued by the district attorney's office, could only be used for legal fees. However, the state can contribute more money to marketing efforts if the county helps defray legal costs.

After agreeing to spend $33 million on overrun costs at the Regional Justice Center and Detention Center, commissioners questioned whether the county -- already hurting from the Sept. 11 attacks -- could afford to free up $3 million.

Commissioner Bruce Woodbury expressed concerns about scraping up the money when the county is struggling to provide basic services.

"I can't in my mind justify allocating this kind of money to do this project," said Woodbury, who had been lobbied on the issue by fellow Republican Ensign. "There are many, many areas where we are underfunded. The money won't just reappear; it has to come from somewhere."

County officials have said $3 million would become available if the county put off projects -- most significantly replacing outdated computers in the County Government Center.

Commissioner Erin Kenny emphasized that the commission's concerns about spending more money on efforts made by Reid and Ensign should not be misinterpreted as not being opposed to Yucca Mountain.

"Do I support our senators? Absolutely. Do I believe this boards supports our senators? Absolutely," Kenny said, referring to the senators' proposals to raise $10 million for an informational campaign and to pay legal fees. "This is a funding policy."

Commission Chairman Dario Herrera, who pitched the funding proposal, said freeing up more state money to educate communities along the transportation route could prompt residents to pressure their representatives and "move senators (into) Nevada's column" on the issue.

He cited an Ispos Group survey of 1,000 adults nationwide that shows the country is evenly divided over storing nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain. Nevada has an opportunity to win support if it informs residents across the country that the project will affect more than Nevada citizens.

Energy Department officials have said in a worst-case scenario, two accidents with radiation leaks will occur every year during the program, Herrera said.

"The question is the how, when and the where," Herrera said.

Commissioners, who last year approved contributing $1 million to the state's efforts, wondered why they were the only government body willing to invest.

Kenny suggested that county administrators write letters to all governments in Southern Nevada to determine how much money they are willing to contribute.

"We need to ask other local entities to make an actual commitment that is time-certain to when those monies will be delivered to (be) put in the pot so we're not alone," Kenny said. "If we are all going to be united, we need to put our money where our mouth is."