Editorial: Disregard for safety

Friday, Feb. 13, 2004 | 9:17 a.m.

Sen. Harry Reid wants the U.S. Energy Department to stop work at the Yucca Mountain project until state environmental officials have had a chance to determine if workers are being endangered by unsafe conditions there. In mid-January the Energy Department announced it would set up a silicosis screening program for current and past workers who have dug tunnels at Yucca Mountain, which is where the federal government wants to bury 77,000 tons of high-level nuclear waste.

The Energy Department acknowledged that workers may not have had the most current safety protection from 1992 to 2000. Silica, which is naturally occurring in rock, is dangerous if it's inhaled through dust. There is even concern that there is a present danger at the project, which prompted Reid's request to halt work, because dust from rock and dirt piles left from the tunneling could be blown around in windy conditions and harm the workers.

The whole idea of storing nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain is unsound, because the mountain can't safely contain the waste and because of the transportation dangers created by shipping nuclear waste cross-country. So it shouldn't be too surprising that the Energy Department's lack of concern for safety has even extended to the project's own employees. Congress should investigate the matter to see if the Energy Department's zeal to move the project quickly along resulted in the department taking shortcuts involving the safety of its workers. At the very least, Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham should listen to Reid and stop work on the project until state environmental officials have an opportunity to determine what danger exists to workers on the Yucca Mountain project.