Letter urges Bush to bounce Yucca

Monday, Jan. 14, 2002 | 9:41 a.m.

Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman and County Commission Chairman Dario Herrera were sending a letter today to President Bush urging him to reject Yucca Mountain as the site of the nation's high-level nuclear waste dump.

Both planned a news conference this morning to disclose the contents of the letter.

"We're telling him he has to protect Nevada," Goodman said, adding the two elected leaders also are stressing Yucca Mountain has become a national transportation issue.

"We told him this can't be a political issue, it has to be in the best interests of the nation," he said.

Goodman said he has invited 109 mayors to a reception next week in Washington to explain to them the dangers of transporting the deadly waste through 43 states to Yucca Mountain, which is 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas.

Reno Mayor Jeff Griffin is co-hosting the reception, which will take place during the annual U.S. Conference of Mayors, he said.

Last week Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham informed Gov. Kenny Guinn that he has concluded Yucca Mountain is suitable to store 77,000 tons of the nation's high-level nuclear waste.

Abraham has 30 days to formally make his recommendation to President Bush.

Former Nevada Gov. Robert List, who has a consulting contract to help the nuclear industry promote Yucca Mountain, said he believes Bush will "probably accept" Abraham's recommendation.

"I think the national security and energy independence issues and the attacks on Sept. 11 certainly argue in favor of getting a secure and safe location for the nation's spent nuclear fuel," List said. "It's now in nearly 40 states. It needs to be cleaned up and consolidated."