Sandoval to speak with energy secretary Thursday

The second letter proved the charm for Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval.

The governor’s office Tuesday confirms that Sandoval will talk with Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz on Thursday about Department of Energy activities in Nevada, including plans to ship canisters of radioactive waste to a site northwest of Las Vegas.

Sandoval has sent two letters to Moniz requesting a meeting. When his first letter in June failed to bring a response, he sent another last week.

The DOE is proposing to ship 403 canisters of radioactive waste from Oak Ridge, Tenn., to the Nevada National Security Site for burial in a shallow pit. Sandoval says the former national nuclear proving ground isn’t appropriate for disposal of highly radioactive waste that could be used to build a “dirty bomb.”