The big picture

Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2008 | 2:08 a.m.

The overwhelming majority of Nevadans and their elected officials clearly realize the potential dangers of accepting the nation’s high-level nuclear waste at the proposed Yucca Mountain dump 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas. They know that the accidental release of radioactive waste could have catastrophic effects on the state’s population, its environment and its economy.

They also realize the fight against the dump is too critical to be derailed by the resignation Monday of Bob Loux as executive director of the Nevada Commission on Nuclear Projects. State lawmakers had questioned the legality of pay raises Loux gave to himself and co-workers. The commission, which represents the state in the fight against the dump, is needed more than ever now that the Energy Department’s application to build the dump is being considered by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Commission Chairman Richard Bryan, a former Nevada senator and governor, was right when he told the Associated Press: “From my perspective, the paramount issue for all of us on this commission is that nothing we do, nothing Mr. Loux has done in the past, will divert focus from our primary mission.”

A small minority of Nevadans who want to sell out this state to the nuclear power lobby under the guise of “negotiating for benefits” would love to believe that the salary controversy somehow justifies shipping deadly waste here. They are naive to believe Nevadans are that gullible.

If the sellout crowd is so concerned about bringing more jobs and money to Nevada, it would be better served expending its energy on the recruitment of businesses that will not create public health hazards. That way we could grow the economy without worrying about the possibility of a train wreck involving nuclear waste or an unforeseen accident at the dump.

Let’s remain solidly behind the Nevada Commission on Nuclear Projects, state elected officials and our congressional delegation in their fight against the DOE license application as we enter the critical end game, where a unified voice is one of the strongest weapons Nevada will possess.