THE OTHER SIDE OF YUCCA
At the recent CNN Republican Presidential Debate at the Venetian in Las Vegas, the question of Yucca Mountain inevitably was raised. The candidates generally gave "safe" answers, but I suspect a more thorough briefing on the issue would be helpful to them. That said, I'm no rocket surgeon, so I'll limit my observations more to the political arena, not scientific.
Indeed, review of the licensing application for the nuclear waste storage facility is supposed to answer the scientific questions about suitability and safety. But for political reasons, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has done everything in his power to block scientific review of that application, including drying up the funding for that review by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Some other bullet points:
· Funding for Yucca comes not from taxpayers, but electricity rate-payers.
· Permanent burial is an outdated idea. Retrievable storage and reprocessing is now technologically possible.and preferable.
· Ground zero for opposition to Yucca Mountain is centered in Clark County, especially on the Strip. Gaming fears a nuclear-related transportation "spill" on I-15 would wipe out the gambling and tourism industry in Las Vegas. However, no shipments need be sent through Las Vegas. Plus, thousands of nuclear waste shipments have already traveled throughout the United States without an incident.
· In counties outside of Clark, opinion on Yucca ranges from mild opposition to indifference to outright support - especially in Nye County where Yucca Mountain is physically located.
· The two major newspapers in Las Vegas regularly editorialize against the project, but the Las Vegas Review-Journal appears to be less strident in its opposition these days than in years past.
· Polling showing strong opposition to Yucca is and always has been suspect. The questions have often been loaded or biased and to my knowledge have never given Nevadans a benefits-for-storage option.
· Offer Nevadans something similar to what Alaskans get for the oil pipeline - maybe 1/2-price electricity for life - and opinion could very well shift in the other direction, especially in Las Vegas where power bills are sky-high during 100+ degree summers.
· The best argument against Yucca from the conservative point of view is the "state's rights" argument. The fly in that ointment, however, is the fact that some 80 percent of our state is owned by the feds, including Yucca Mountain. Maybe it shouldn't be, but it is.
· As mentioned above, the other argument most often advanced against Yucca is the transportation issue. However, that argument was created as a way to get other states to oppose Yucca; it is not a major impediment within Nevada's borders. Indeed, the one significant population center from an eastern rail transportation route, Caliente, has been openly supportive of the project.
· The nuclear industry has all but abandoned public efforts to open Yucca Mountain. They know this problem is now the government's, not theirs. And their primary interest these days is in opening new facilities. As such, they are not inclined to be a burr under Harry Reid's saddle over waste storage.
· There is significant and growing support for establishing a National Energy Park and Research Center - including a reprocessing facility - at Yucca. However, reprocessing still requires some kind of permanent waste storage for what's left over after the reprocessing.
· Such an operation would not only create thousands of high-paying jobs, including construction, but would help develop and advance other "clean" alternative sources of energy, including wind and solar.
The real question about Yucca isn't whether or not it's 100 percent safe. Heck, taking a bath isn't 100 percent safe. The discussion should be on a risk-benefit analysis. Of course there's significant risk to the transportation and storage of nuclear waste. The question is whether or not those risks can be sufficiently minimized and offset by significant financial and other benefits for doing the nation this service.
That's a discussion we've never been allowed to have here. Maybe it's time we did?
SILVER STATE CONFIDENTIAL
If you're not a subscriber to my Silver State Confidential "insider" e-newsletter, here's just some of what you missed over the last couple of days:
· What the Las Vegas Sun DELETED in its printed version of the domestic dispute involving state Sen. Elizabeth Halseth
· How a last-minute tweak by Judge Russell set up a potential GOP legislative primary that no one saw coming
· Redistricting also likely sets up GOP cowpoke vs. cowpoke contest in cow counties.
· What if Supremes overrule Judge Russell's redistricting plan?
· The first Taxpayer Protection Pledge signer of the 2012 campaign!
· Scrubbing UNLV and CSN of some "Moose" graffiti
· Why GOP in Nevada is lucky it can't be charged with criminal political negligence
· Public school teacher miscalculates
· Suzzie Wein, Elaine Moser, Bonnie Thompson, Annie Cornell & JoAnn Waters
· Four Horsemen of the Political Apocalypse set to ride in southern Nevada
· Playing "Where's Waldo?" with the GOP prez candidates
· Herman Cain on Cloud 9-9-9 vs Rick Perry's 20-20 vision
Plus a new feature, All the "Right" Moves, updating conservatives on conservatives moving up and around the movement, including on Friday:
Randi Thompson, Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki, Ed Goedhart, Richard McArthur, Scott Hammond, James Smack, Jim Degraffenreid, Mike Bertrand, John Chachas, Carol Del Carlo, Heidi Smith, David Gallagher, Cory Drumright, Justin Harris, Monica Moradkhan, Stan Olsen, Marco Valera, Sonia Joya, Jack Finn, Marilyn Gubler, Keith Lynam, Patrick McNaught, Robert Uithoven, George Harris, Michael McDonald, Wes Rice, Leonard Foster, andSherman Frederick.
Subscribe to Silver State Confidential for 25% off the regular price.and TWO MONTHS FREE with an annual subscription. CLICK HERE
UPCOMING EVENTS
November 3: Keystone annual dinner at the Venetian in Las Vegas. Reception: 6:00 pm. Dinner: 7:00 pm. Honoree: Andy Abboud. Emcee: Lynn Weidner. Keynote Speaker: Dr. Charles Krauthammer. Click here for more information and/or to RSVP.
November 4: First Friday Happy Hour is held at Mundo restaurant in the World Market Center in downtown Las Vegas from 5:00 - 7:00 pm. For additional information, visitwww.FirstFridayNevada.com
November 7: Rep. Joe Heck is the featured speaker at the Nevada Republican Men's Club luncheon at Cili's Restaurant at the Bali Hai Golf Club in Las Vegas at 11:30 am. $25 per person.
FAMOUS LAST WORDS
"I enjoy flowers, like everybody else." - Herman Cain to Greta van Susteren when asked if he has a 'roaming eye' on Fox last night (Hat tip: Morning Score)
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