Sununu says he is not calling for boycott

Benjamin Grove and Jeff German

Monday, Jan. 14, 2002 | 10:46 a.m.

Leading Yucca Mountain project lobbyist John Sununu today backed away from published reports Saturday and said that he is not encouraging tourists to avoid Nevada if the state will not accept the nation's nuclear waste.

Sununu, who served as chief of staff to former President George Bush, told the Sun this morning from Washington that he personally is not advocating a tourist boycott of Nevada.

"Nevada has to be careful in not creating a perception that it is not willing to do its part," Sununu told the Sun. "It may find that folks around the country may be less willing to visit."

In the published remarks Saturday, Sununu was quoted as saying, "If Nevada is not willing to do its part in what is part of a national plan for homeland security -- maybe Americans ought to vacation somewhere else."

The remarks enraged Nevada leaders.

Nevada's work force and the state's economy rely heavily on the tourism industry. Gaming could suffer if the federal government proceeds with a plan to bury 77,000 tons of high-level waste at Yucca Mountain, 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas, state officials have said.

American Gaming Association President Frank Fahrenkopf, the industry's chief Washington lobbyist, today criticized Sununu, a former New Hampshire governor, for questioning Nevada's patriotism.

"If he thinks we ought to be patriotic, let's see how patriotic he feels if we put it in New Hampshire," said Fahrenkopf, who is good friends with Sununu.

Nevada has proved its patriotism, Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., told the Associated Press. Nevada soldiers are fighting the war on terrorism and the Nevada Test Site is scarred by Cold War-era nuclear bomb blasts, Reid said.

"Maybe John should come to Nevada before he speaks and see for himself what we've given already," Reid said.

Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., said Sununu's original comment was "outrageous."

Ensign said Nevada has done its part to promote homeland security in part because air ranges for Nellis Air Force Base in Southern Nevada and Fallon Naval Air Station in Northern Nevada cover a good part of the state. He also stressed that Nevada -- not New Hampshire -- had been scarred by decades of nuclear bomb blasts.

"It was an ignorant statement," Ensign said. "Maybe the money from the nuclear industry is clouding his judgment."

Gov. Kenny Guinn this morning said, "He just doesn't know the history of what we've done with the military bases and the Test Site. He didn't have above-ground testing in his state."

Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman had the harshest words for the nuclear industry lobbyist.

"To call him a prostitute would elevate him," Goodman said. "This guy wouldn't even qualify as a low-class prostitute, let alone a call girl. Let them bury this crap in New Hampshire if it's so safe."

Sununu and former Democratic vice presidential candidate Geraldine Ferraro are leading a pro-Yucca lobbying campaign under the umbrella of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.