LETTERS: Dangers of reopening Yucca Mountain far outweigh benefits

To the editor:

Rep. Cresent Hardy and Rep. Mark Amodei signed up to join the group of congressmen traveling to Yucca Mountain on Thursday (“Two Nevadans joining Yucca Mountain visit,” March 19 Review-Journal). All Congressional attendees are Republicans, most of whom have already expressed their desire to reopen the nuclear waste repository.

If approved by the Republican-controlled Congress, the nuclear waste that will be stored there, shipped from all over the country, will be the most dangerous nuclear waste ever made by man, much of which has an estimated lifetime contamination of 10,000 years. For those of you who don’t know what that means, it can kill humans by radiation poisoning for up to 10,000 years. There is no antidote for this. If you are exposed to an excessive amount of radiation, you die.

Speaker of the House John Boehner has stated several times that he would like to see Yucca Mountain opened to store this indestructible and extremely dangerous nuclear waste. Rep. Hardy, in whose district this project lies, has indicated through past statements that he is also in favor of this, because it creates several hundred jobs. Just because something creates several hundred jobs doesn’t make it a good ideas for our society as a whole. There are several thousand illegal drug dealers who contribute a lot of money to our economy. But they are not good for our society.

Storage of a massive amount (I believe the estimate is 70,000 tons) of extremely toxic nuclear waste is not only dangerous for Nevadans, but for the entire country, because it has to be transported from all corners of the U.S., frequently through very populated areas. Additionally, it is a fact that Nevada is a state with a very large number of fault lines. Because of this, it is highly likely that sometime in the next 10,000 years, Yucca Mountain will be subjected to a massive earthquake. Everyone that is reading this will probably be dead when it happens, but no one can predict exactly when it will occur.

I believe it would be much safer to store this nuclear waste where it is generated, without transporting it from all over the U.S. to Yucca Mountain. Rep. Hardy is foolhardy to support this project. Yucca Mountain is a bad idea and should not be resurrected.

DEAN TOMSA

MESQUITE

Republicans on Reid

To the editor:

All civility has been lost among politicians. Save for Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval, the Republicans quoted in the report about Sen. Harry Reid’s retirement were vitriolic in nature, and it was sickening (“Sun setting for Reid,” March 28 Review-Journal). It would be OK to say you disagree with Sen. Reid, but then wish him well and Godspeed. Instead, the Republican neanderthals took their parting shots to get their 2 inches if ink. A pox on them, I say.

ROBERT BENCIVENGA

HENDERSON

Voter ID debate

To the editor:

I find it almost humorous that the voter identification proposal in the state Legislature could spark any contentious debate. There really is no reason that showing an ID to do anything, especially something as important as voting, should be considered a problem.

The only reason anyone could be against voter ID is if that person is in favor of voter fraud. It is really that simple. What the Legislature should be discussing is how to keep undocumented immigrants, who now have driver’s licenses, from voting.

MARCIA ROMANO

LAS VEGAS

‘Treasonous’ Heller

To the editor:

So John Isaacs thinks Sen. Dean Heller is guilty of treason (“Treasonous Heller,” March 19 Review-Journal letters). Really? Treason? Sen. Heller and 46 other senators signed a letter explaining to the Iranian mullahs how our Constitution works. Maybe they did it because President Barack Obama has been trashing the constitution so much lately that they felt the world needed to be reminded about the other two branches of our government and how they work.

A better definition of treason is releasing hard-core terrorist murderers from Guantanamo Bay so they can get back to their chosen profession of killing American service members. That is aiding and comforting the enemy.

MIKE MURPHY

PAHRUMP

Stand by your country

To the editor:

Regarding John Isaacs’ letter on Sen. Dean Heller’s choice to sign the letter to the Iranian government, patriotism means to stand by your country. It does not mean to stand by the president, especially one who has continued to run our country according to his own agenda. He was voted in to represent the people — for whom he seems to have no regard.

MAUREEN SIPLE

HENDERSON

The public’s business

To the editor:

The Review-Journal’s efforts at keeping government operations and finances open to the public are to be applauded (“Keep pension records open,” March 20 Review-Journal). Information on such matters is vital in maintaining our democratic freedoms, including our freedom from being oppressed by government leaders who quickly forget who they work for after elections.

Assembly Democrats Amber Joiner, Ellen Spiegel, Michael Sprinkle, Richard Carrillo and Nelson Araujo clearly do not have the public interests at heart and should be voted out next election. They are more interested in keeping the powerful public-sector unions happy, in order to get their support for re-election. The lucrative salaries and pensions given the public-sector workers are basically bribes to buy their votes.

BARBARA MALONE

LAS VEGAS