Sun Editorial:

Reading the fine print

GOP energy plan boosts funding for Yucca Mountain nuclear waste dump

Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2008 | 2:06 a.m.

There is little to no chance the energy plan vociferously supported by Republicans will have any more than peripheral influence this week as the House prepares to debate a solution to high gas prices.

That is fortunate for Nevada because the Republicans included in their plan the authorization of substantially more money for the development of Yucca Mountain.

Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., exposed this detail buried in the bill the Republicans have been pushing for months, seeking to improve their chances on Election Day.

Although Republicans say conservation and alternative energies are part of their plan, its overarching goal is to repeal much of the federal ban on offshore oil drilling. Congress has annually renewed the ban for the past 27 years.

The ban, affecting 85 percent of the country’s coastal waters, was put in place to protect beaches and other sensitive shorelines from inevitable oil spills that bring disaster for state economies as well as the environment.

Berkley discovered the Yucca Mountain language while studying the details of the Republican plan. She said in a statement that this bill would “mean billions more” for the mountain ridge 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas.

The federal government has spent about $14 billion preparing the ridge as a dump for the nation’s nuclear waste, a dump that 20 years of research by Nevada has proved would never be safe. A key accomplishment of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., has been to gain support from his colleagues to cut the annual appropriation for Yucca sought by the Bush administration.

Lisa Mascaro, the Las Vegas Sun’s Washington reporter, wrote for Monday’s paper that Reps. Jon Porter and Dean Heller, both R-Nev., are strong supporters of the Republican energy plan. Yet they claim to be ardently opposed to the Yucca Mountain project. They can’t have it both ways.

Fortunately the majority Democrats will be the ones to bring a bill to the floor. Although it will likely be a limited compromise on the drilling issue, it will not compromise the safety of Nevadans in regard to Yucca Mountain.

Discussion: 11 comments so far…

By jfnance32

9/16/08 at 4:07 a.m.

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How for the last 2 years the Democratic controlled House and Senate vote for funding for Yucca?

Last month, the Democratic controlled House sub-committee voted to fully fund Yucca.

Does the Democratic Party hate Nevada?
By Sordid

9/16/08 at 9:25 a.m.

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Excuse me, but on what basis of fact is the statement "20 years of research by Nevada has proved would never be safe" made? To my knowledge, the only "facts" that the State has presented has been the fear-mongering and misinformation coming out of Loux's office. DOE's license application for Yucca Mountain has THOUSANDS of pages of research, all hard cold PROVEN facts about the safety of the repository. I might suggest the editors of the Sun do a little research on the topic.
By boco

9/16/08 at 9:43 a.m.

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The "Democratic controlled" House Subcommittee that votes on the Yucca budget, referred to in the first comment, is actually quite bi-partisan on the repository program.
The Senate has a miserable record on even passing its appropriations bills. In FY 2008-- the present year-- the program absorbed a 22 percent cut in a non-transparent manuever attributed to Sen. Reid in the gigantic, omnibus appropriations act.
By jfnance32

9/16/08 at 10:21 a.m.

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It is still has a Democratic majority.

In the House, the party that controls the House controls the bills.

So the Pelosi and her Democrats are for funding for Yucca.

It is sham......The House passes full funding so that Reid can have some credit for cutting yet Yucca is still alive and well.

The Democrats today, this second, could decide that no Yucca funding get move out of the House.

The Democratic Party is for Yucca funding.
By azsk8fan

9/16/08 at 11:56 a.m.

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Can't anyone see that BOTH parties are responsible for this mess - why do people persist in blaming one party over the other.....quit kidding yourself - regardless of your affiliation your party is the bad guy.
By jorth

9/16/08 at 12:21 p.m.

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Rep Berkley is misleading the electorate with her mistatements about Yucca Mountain and the Republicans. She would rather risk the lives of US residents in 33 states with above ground open nuclear waste storage sites than consolidate them in a secure, underground, site designed to be safe, secure, and recoverable for future fuel reprocessing when it becomes economically viable, if it isn't already.
Furthermore her asertion that the government is spending taxpayer money by funding Yucca Mountain ignores the fact that the nuclear power industry has prepaid this expense thru its nuclear waste storage fund since 1982. This is an industry funded facility, not another taxpayer expense.
How about some truthful reporting rather than this Nevada Democratic spin.
By azsk8fan

9/16/08 at 12:28 p.m.

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Everyone can keep pointing the finger or people can band together, confront BOTH parties and DEMAND answers instead of double-talk. Until people start banding together and holding both parties accountable we will continue to see the downward slide of America - we can't afford to take sides any longer - we need to all come together and take back our country ......
By Impeach_Harry_Reid

9/16/08 at 3:24 p.m.

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Respectfully to jfnance32: Duh!!! There are 39 States with Nuclear Waste slated to go to Yucca Mountain. Of course the Democrates from their respective States that have nuclear waste want it out of their State (and of course the Republican represented States) and will vote to fund the Repository.

Not to mention (again to you) that Yucca Mountain is THE LAW...
By Impeach_Harry_Reid

9/16/08 at 3:30 p.m.

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FURTHERMORE!!!!

The State of Nevada HAS NOT PROVED that the Mountain would never be safe. (Would you really trust the likes of Loux and Reid on their scientific prowess or their paid off non-compete "just give us the answer we told you to give us" consultants????)

Nice going SUN... Spewing misinformation again and again...
By jfnance32

9/16/08 at 4:12 p.m.

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Thanks for the 411...IHR........the Democrats are for Yucca Mtn.

In fact, the so-called, "Screw Nevada Bill" was passed by a Democratic controlled House and Senate and it made Nevada the only site for nuclear waste.
By theroyprocess

9/17/08 at 11:19 a.m.

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Your money AND your life!
The U.S. government "knew or should have known"
Yucca Mountain will not contain high level
nuclear waste! It has already leaked out in the
first 63 years of the atomic age. Yucca is a
multi-billion dollar money pit for Congress!

At times Yucca is downwind from Phoenix, AZ and
then fallout goes worldwide! Can I sue Nevada for
(attempted murder)?

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