News
The majority of Americans are opposed to the federal government's plan to store the nation's high-level nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain, according to a recent poll conducted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
MIT completed the poll with 1,200 Americans answering a questionnaire on how energy is made, used and harnessed in order to evaluate the public's opinion on energy options.
The study, Public's Attitude Toward America's Energy Options: Insights for Nuclear Energy, was released by MIT in June. The summary on the Yucca Mountain project, by Stephen Ansolabehere, political science professor and author of the poll, stated, "The numbers don't look good (for support of the project)."
According to the poll, 19 percent of Americans were in favor of the project. However, only 25 percent said they would support it provided it was supported by Nevadans. The remainder said they were against the project or did not have an opinion.
A majority of Nevadans, state officials and congressional delegates have consistently opposed the plan to build the high-level nuclear waste dump at Yucca Mountain, approximately 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas, since its inception.
State officials have said they are in favor of nuclear waste being stored at the sites where it is generated.
Approximately 15 Fallon residents were asked on Thursday what they thought about the Yucca Mountain project and the MIT survey.
Many locals questioned said they either had no opinion or were somewhat in favor of the project because there could be benefits for Nevadans. However, these individuals refused to be named.
One resident, Corey Etchinek, an engraver at Etched in Stone, said, "I think they should store it in Iraq, because they should make something of that mess they've (the government) created."
Another resident, Debbie Elizalde, said she thinks the project is a bad idea.
"We're already California's ash tray. Now the government wants us to be the country's nuclear dump site," she said. "Why do we have to take it all?"
Nevadans' views on the project are swaying public opinion, said Michon Mackedon, a Fallon resident and former member of the Nevada Commission on Nuclear Projects, in response to the survey.
"What I read into the numbers is that Nevada has been extraordinarily successful in analyzing the information about Yucca's flaws and transportation dangers and has done a remarkable job of getting the word out beyond our own borders. Much of the success is due to the strong and united front of the state's political leaders. I think the project is stalled in its tracks."
Churchill County Commissioner Lynn Pearce, a county representative on Yucca Mountain for more than 10 years, said given the advance of technology, its probably reasonable that scientists will find a way to deal with nuclear waste in the next 50 to 100 years, he said.
"Even if they will store it in Yucca, it needs to remain open to allow science the ability to find a solution," he said. "In the case of Carlsbad (N.M.), it is a prime example. Everything the government promised, they have done and then some. I think what the federal government offered could have been the beginning of a bargaining table."
He said the state's position is complete opposition and will remain so. No negotiating will be done. Officials will continue to do so while nuclear waste is being put into the mountain with no compensation given to the state.
"In 10 years, the state has been fighting valiantly; however, we are closer now than ever before to having the storage facility," Pearce said. "Despite the efforts of the state, we're closer than we were 10 years ago. You have to pause and wonder, is it coming here regardless of the best efforts of the state? Should Nevadans be compensated for having to take this within our state?"
For more information on the MIT survey or to view a copy of the survey, visit web.mit.edu/canes/
For more information on Nevada's opposition to the Yucca Mountain project, visit www.state.nv.us/nucwaste/
MIT completed the poll with 1,200 Americans answering a questionnaire on how energy is made, used and harnessed in order to evaluate the public's opinion on energy options.
The study, Public's Attitude Toward America's Energy Options: Insights for Nuclear Energy, was released by MIT in June. The summary on the Yucca Mountain project, by Stephen Ansolabehere, political science professor and author of the poll, stated, "The numbers don't look good (for support of the project)."
According to the poll, 19 percent of Americans were in favor of the project. However, only 25 percent said they would support it provided it was supported by Nevadans. The remainder said they were against the project or did not have an opinion.
A majority of Nevadans, state officials and congressional delegates have consistently opposed the plan to build the high-level nuclear waste dump at Yucca Mountain, approximately 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas, since its inception.
State officials have said they are in favor of nuclear waste being stored at the sites where it is generated.
Approximately 15 Fallon residents were asked on Thursday what they thought about the Yucca Mountain project and the MIT survey.
Many locals questioned said they either had no opinion or were somewhat in favor of the project because there could be benefits for Nevadans. However, these individuals refused to be named.
One resident, Corey Etchinek, an engraver at Etched in Stone, said, "I think they should store it in Iraq, because they should make something of that mess they've (the government) created."
Another resident, Debbie Elizalde, said she thinks the project is a bad idea.
"We're already California's ash tray. Now the government wants us to be the country's nuclear dump site," she said. "Why do we have to take it all?"
Nevadans' views on the project are swaying public opinion, said Michon Mackedon, a Fallon resident and former member of the Nevada Commission on Nuclear Projects, in response to the survey.
"What I read into the numbers is that Nevada has been extraordinarily successful in analyzing the information about Yucca's flaws and transportation dangers and has done a remarkable job of getting the word out beyond our own borders. Much of the success is due to the strong and united front of the state's political leaders. I think the project is stalled in its tracks."
Churchill County Commissioner Lynn Pearce, a county representative on Yucca Mountain for more than 10 years, said given the advance of technology, its probably reasonable that scientists will find a way to deal with nuclear waste in the next 50 to 100 years, he said.
"Even if they will store it in Yucca, it needs to remain open to allow science the ability to find a solution," he said. "In the case of Carlsbad (N.M.), it is a prime example. Everything the government promised, they have done and then some. I think what the federal government offered could have been the beginning of a bargaining table."
He said the state's position is complete opposition and will remain so. No negotiating will be done. Officials will continue to do so while nuclear waste is being put into the mountain with no compensation given to the state.
"In 10 years, the state has been fighting valiantly; however, we are closer now than ever before to having the storage facility," Pearce said. "Despite the efforts of the state, we're closer than we were 10 years ago. You have to pause and wonder, is it coming here regardless of the best efforts of the state? Should Nevadans be compensated for having to take this within our state?"
For more information on the MIT survey or to view a copy of the survey, visit web.mit.edu/canes/
For more information on Nevada's opposition to the Yucca Mountain project, visit www.state.nv.us/nucwaste/
