Letter: Rural Nevada ready for waste

Friday, July 19, 2002 | 9:13 a.m.

It shouldn't be news to any of us that the recommendation of Yucca Mountain as a repository was approved by the Senate.

The politicians did the right thing; they have allowed the independent Nuclear Regulatory Commission to make the decision on Yucca Mountain, and that's what we all want -- the decision to be based on sound science.

I live in Pahrump, and rural Nevada is going to bear most of the impacts when it comes to the repository anyway. Mayor Oscar Goodman can use all the scare tactics he wants about arresting drivers transporting waste, but the truth of the matter is the only way the waste will come through Las Vegas is if the governor allows it, because he has the authority to designate an alternate transportation route.

So now what? Our elected officials can continue to fight this in the courts and use millions of our tax dollars to do so, or our elected officials can take a more constructive approach towards this project and shift gears and develop a strategy to make this project benefit all Nevadans.

One last thing. The state has spent over $85 million overseeing the Department of Energy's work at Yucca Mountain. When we reach licensing, my county -- Nye County -- will be the only independent entity that will have any scientific evidence to present to the NRC to either verify or contradict the DOE's claims about the site's suitability.

REBECCA SMITH

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