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Atop Yucca Mountain, 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas, signs warn of possible radiation near a test well.
Thursday, Jan. 22, 2009 | 1:27 p.m.
Sun coverage
Budget plan
CARSON CITY – Democratic lawmakers on Thursday criticized the governor’s plan to cut staff at the state agency responsible for battling the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository.
In the budget he unveiled last week, Gov. Jim Gibbons called for staff at the state Nuclear Projects to be cut from seven to two.
Assemblywoman Sheila Leslie, D-Reno, who said the cuts will hamper the fight against Yucca Mountain at a critical point, said "We’re on the verge of winning and now is not the time to slash litigation” money.
The remarks were made during Senate and Assembly money committees hearings on the governor’s budget, which began today. During the morning session, Democratic lawmakers repeated their criticisms of the Gibbons’ slimmed down budget.
State Budget Director Andrew Clinger told the Senate Finance and the Assembly Ways and Means committees that most of the office’s budget is spent on outside contracts, which the staff monitors.
Leslie then asked if two employees could do the work of seven. Clinger answered, “Yes.”
Josh Hicks, chief of staff for the governor, softened the stance somewhat by saying that once newly appointed director Bruce Breslow “gets his arms around” the operation, there may be a need for additional money. Breslow replaces Bob Loux, who resigned amid controversy over raising his and his staff’s salary without authorization.
Leslie said funds for the legal fight in the Attorney General’s office have been cut.
But Hicks said there is $93,000, the same amount the office has this year. He said this was “sufficient” and he quoted U.S. Sen. Harry Reid who believes President Obama will not continue funding Yucca Mountain.
Cy Ryan may be reached at (775) 687 5032 or cy@lasvegassun.com.
I have been a citizen of our city for 37 of my 55 year's,I have wondered and hoped for diversification in industry and employment, through all the boom year's...[Just as I waited for real rail service to our potential customer's in California Arizona Utah and in our own state Reno, which would facilitate day player's and weekender's !]Since the Goverment has been nuking the State for 50 year's and the half life is on the order of 250,000 year's and because it is not very wise to have so many pocket's of this material available to the bad guy's... and because the true answer to the energy crises is nuclear and lastly because 80% of the State is BLM i.e. Goverment controlled and unpopulated, what better alternative is there for the storage and protection of this material,do we not need the job's and if we were generating power this way here in the west,it would mean less strain on the River?!Oh and what about that plan for a vast wind farm at the test site?!
Obviousely Democratic lawmakers haven't read the agencies most recent posting. Everyone is encouraged to check out http://www.state.nv.us/nucwaste/licensin.... Read how close the agency is to winning any litigation. Specifically, browse DOE's response to the States "legal case" against yucca mountain.
Come on people, let the NRC do their job.
The agency is a joke and always has been.
Certainly Bruce Breslow is technically incapable of representing the State of Nevada.
Bruce Breslow as a former Sparks mayor and television sports broadcaster claims he can effectively be the new lobbyist against Yucca Mountain.
What more staff does he need.
Gibbons the Clown would sell his soul to the devil it Sheldon and Sig told him to.
This picture shows what kind of idiots inhabit our country, really, how many signs does one need? I mean this picture wasn't taken at sunset park.
Sounds like the Dems have some lawyer buddies about to be unemployed. What a joke.
I don't support Gibbons at all, if he told me the sun was shining I would walk outside and check.