Letter: Route nuke waste around Las Vegas

Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2003 | 8:42 a.m.

When otherwise informed Nevada politicians begin ranting about the dangers of shipping radioactive waste through Las Vegas on national television I get very frustrated. I am writing about the segment of "60 Minutes" that covered the proposed nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain. Interviews with Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman revealed that both men are opposed to shipping high-level waste through Las Vegas. Well, so are most Nevadans. And so is Rep. Dave Hobson, R-Ohio, who wrote legislation to keep that from happening.

Over the past several weeks, I've read in the news that the House of Representatives passed legislation to keep the Energy Department from shipping waste through Las Vegas to Yucca Mountain. The Energy Department would instead have to route shipments through rural, unpopulated areas of Nevada. However, the Senate must support this initiative or it will die. Reid does a good job sympathizing with the people of Nevada; I just hope that he remembers he works for them too.

CHRISTI TURNER