Letter: Negotiate now for benefits from Yucca Mountain

Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2003 | 8:58 a.m.

I'm disappointed in the way our elected officials have dealt with Yucca Mountain. Here we have the country's largest public works project, estimated at $56 billion, and a project that is inevitable, and our elected officials continue to fight a losing battle.

First, what better place than the Nevada Test Site? It has been used for nuclear missions since the 1950s. Second, once you look past the smoke and mirrors that our state is using, one can see that this federal project can diversify our economy and significantly enhance the research being done in our university system.

Spending millions to fight a scientific project in the courts and holding three-day legal-eagle meetings in Virginia doesn't seem like a good use of our tax dollars.

I hope our state's new year is blessed with a loss in the federal court system and then maybe our elected officials will change their stance on Yucca Mountain. They should acknowledge that it's time to start a responsible dialogue with the federal government and private industry aimed at significant benefits for all Nevadans.

Contrary to what our state and county officials would want you to believe, residents of New Mexico have benefited economically from the repository at Carlsbad. Will we ever benefit from Yucca Mountain?

REBECCA SMITH