Editorial: Mountain of danger

Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2004 | 8:58 a.m.

Silicosis is a fatal lung disease that's been known for centuries. A miner, sandblaster, mason, tunneler -- anyone who has prolonged exposure to dust containing crystalline silica is at risk unless they are properly protected. Fortunately, protections have been developed that make silicosis entirely preventable. Unfortunately, however, the Energy Department is now admitting that protections may not have been up to date or even enforced at Yucca Mountain -- one of the world's largest drilling operations -- from 1992 to 2000.

The admission came after word that some former workers at Yucca Mountain may have contracted the disease while drilling tunnels. In response, the Energy Department set up a program to screen current and former workers to determine if they have the disease. In our view, the screening program, an after-the-fact response, is a testament to the danger inherent in the whole Yucca Mountain project. All along the Energy Department has been telling the world that Yucca Mountain will be a safe place to bury high-level nuclear waste for the next 100 centuries. Yet during those years Yucca Mountain hadn't even been safe for the Energy Department's own employees and contractors. What after-the-fact responses will be necessary if the dump is allowed to open?