Desert site right option for waste
Published 12:00 am Saturday, May 11, 2002
It's a problem that nobody wants. But storing America's nuclear waste inside of a mountain in the middle of a Nevada desert only makes sense.
Congress is currently debating whether or not to designate Yucca Mountain as a place to store hazardous nuclear material that's scattered throughout this country.
Opponents of the measure say the mountain is only 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas and could threaten the country's fastest-growing area if a catastrophe occurs. Plus, there's the problem of transporting the toxic materials themselves to the site.
That thinking is understandable. However, many of these chemicals are being stored at numerous commercial reactors across the country.
We highly doubt any of these reactors are out in the middle of a desert, far away from homes, schools and churches.
As a result, Congress should approve the idea of taking nuclear waste away from our communities and store it in Yucca Mountain.