Letter: Nuclear waste is inviting target

Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2005 | 9 a.m.

I am responding to Richard Rychtarik's letter of July 28, which was answered in part by the editorial "Energy bill falls short." It is disgraceful that the nuclear industry and fossil-fuel producers, now making record profits, are receiving subsidies in the billions.

Again I am lectured that I must be a realist and pragmatic and accept political expediency instead of sound science on Yucca Mountain. No! I also will never accept President Bush breaking his word during an election campaign. He promised sound science in 2000 and adherence to the court decisions without congressional interference in 2004. Nevadans should never accept that he will break his word.

Storing nuclear waste in Yucca Mountain after 9/11 is indefensible in the name of homeland defense. Thousands of targets of opportunity will be presented to terrorists as the waste is transported across the country. There are shoulder-held weapons that can burn through heavy tank armor and then have a secondary explosion to kill the crew. No container can resist this attack. Even if the container isn't hit, the truck or train will be destroyed, bringing up visions of Three Mile Island.

Nevadans have the power, as citizens, to stop Yucca Mountain. We must also use this power to encourage the media, print and visual, to tell the story.

FRANK PERNA