Yucca Mountain: Good or Bad idea

[mr_pack]

I think it is a good idea - I think Yucca Mtn should be where the nation stores nuclear waste

I bring this up because of the recent news on President Obama wanting to build new reactors. I think nuclear has to be one of the best forms of energy. I know other natural forms like wind, solar, etc have potential but it doesn’t cut it right now. Finally Obama does something I like.

I think people have bad perceptions of nuclear energy from prior mishaps, from what I know nuclear is very environment friendly...aside from the radioactive material involved...that is why we need Yucca Mountain to store the used material.

Is Yucca Mountain bad for Nevada…I think it is a good idea, assuming it will be safe.

[NAN1025]

I spent 3 summers interning at the YMP and my father worked there for 10 years. It's been my sentiments that Nevada made a terrible mistake not negotiating with the federal government for money/ benefits for the whole state. It really is sad at how much we missed out on.

[BustNChops]

I posted something similar to this a few weeks back on the topic of budget shortfalls. I don't think it is too late for the negotiations to happen again. Get to the table and get some "small" concessions today - and - larger for the future. I have to believe the State can get $1-Billion per year for the site.

Like you Mr.Pack, I also like the idea of new Nuclear Reactors. Nevada should build one as well and have it fast tracked like the one Obama spoke to yesterday. 3,000 construction jobs + 800 ongoing (granted this is still years in the process - if not decade).

Plus, if Yucca did open for business, the massive amount of jobs that would bring would be significant as well. Remember, Yucca would not only store - it would also reprocess. This could be a new industry in R&D down there as well.

I haven't taken the time yet to find a "chain letter in support of Yucca", but people need to hit up the State and Federal representatives.

http://gov.state.nv.us/Contact_Us_NORTHX.htm

http://berkley.house.gov/contact/email.html

https://heller.house.gov/Contact/ContactForm.htm

https://forms.house.gov/titus/contact-form.shtml

reid.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm

http://ensign.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.ContactForm

[Stuck in Seattle]

Good. Get it done, please.

[NevadaConvert]

I support Yucca and always have as long as they have a safe plan to get the waste there. My uncle owed a trucking company here in Reno (still exists with my aunt running it) and he used to haul radiactive materials to the Nevada test site back in the 80's that was supposed to be safe. Not long after that he got sick with a blood condition that people get with radiation poisoning. He survived another 20+ years, but it was a tough life for him. Once a week he had to get hooked up to a machine half the day to weed out the too many red blood cells he was making. I knew a guy that worked on the test site years ago, and he died at 22 with leukemia. Coincidence? Who knows, but they need to be careful with that stuff. Technology these days makes it much, much safer now, though.

Like I've said before, they should build a whole bunch of nuclear power plants on the test site, and those would have CA come begging for the power since they need higher and higher renewable energy portfolio's.......but the crazy libs in CA won't let anyone build anything in CA. So have NV charge a very healthy usage tax for whoever owns the plants and lines out of Yucca in every direction.....the feds would have to get a cut too. Create enough nuke power to serve a huge load of the western US. Nevada would be swimming in dough.

You don't need water to cool nuke plants anymore with the new nechnology, and the trash can for the nuke material is right down the street and will never be close to the public.

[wolf_chatter]

the Gov and even other countries for years. We would have a surplus of cash right now.

Well.. no we wouldn't the frickheads in the state senate would have spent it all on something else.

[Stuck in Seattle]

the Gov and even other countries for years. We would have a surplus of cash right now.

Well.. no we wouldn't the frickheads in the state senate would have spent it all on something else.
Exactly. States with much higher tax rates are in trouble too. No matter what you give, they'll expand to spend it all in times of plenty and scream for more when times are hard.

[rebh8r]

I think it is a double edged sword. Taking the waste would sure require a lot of money for our higher educations systems which would be great. Once the waste is here, however, the government is in the drivers seat and Nevadans are at its disposal.

[BustNChops]

I think it is a double edged sword. Taking the waste would sure require a lot of money for our higher educations systems which would be great. Once the waste is here, however, the government is in the drivers seat and Nevadans are at its disposal.

I was listening to KKOH a few weeks back and they had an "expert in favor of Yucca" on the show. He said the options were endless in regards to how the State could be compensated. Nevadan's could even get a check/income similar to Alaskans and oil. Some money for the State and some money for the people.

[BustNChops]

Exactly. States with much higher tax rates are in trouble too. No matter what you give, they'll expand to spend it all in times of plenty and scream for more when times are hard.

One reason that I see the silver lining in this mess. Local, State and Federal is being forced to adjust budgets and these expectations for tighter control will hopefully be carried forward. Well I guess we can scratch the Federal learning a lesson...

[Stuck in Seattle]

One reason that I see the silver lining in this mess. Local, State and Federal is being forced to adjust budgets and these expectations for tighter control will hopefully be carried forward. Well I guess we can scratch the Federal learning a lesson...
I just read that if the US went back to it's 2007 levels of spending we'd have a balanced budget. It would be that simple. And that impossible.

[BustNChops]

I just read that if the US went back to it's 2007 levels of spending we'd have a balanced budget. It would be that simple. And that impossible.

Unfortunately, you stated it perfectly.

[renowiggum]

I just read that if the US went back to it's 2007 levels of spending we'd have a balanced budget. It would be that simple. And that impossible.

I don't believe this is accurate.

FY 2007 Spending was $2.74 trillion (http://www.fedspending.org/). Interesting that the FY 2007 budget was $2.77 trillion (http://www.gpoaccess.gov/usbudget/fy07/pdf/budget/tables.pdf) - we spent $30 billion less than the President's budget when all was said and done. That surprised me.

FY 2011 anticipated revenues (from the just-released budget) are $2.567 trillion (http://www.gpoaccess.gov/usbudget/fy11/pdf/summary.pdf)

We'd be closer to a balanced budget, but ~$180 billion short.

[Stuck in Seattle]

I don't believe this is accurate.

FY 2007 Spending was $2.74 trillion (http://www.fedspending.org/). Interesting that the FY 2007 budget was $2.77 trillion (http://www.gpoaccess.gov/usbudget/fy07/pdf/budget/tables.pdf) - we spent $30 billion less than the President's budget when all was said and done. That surprised me.

FY 2011 anticipated revenues (from the just-released budget) are $2.567 trillion (http://www.gpoaccess.gov/usbudget/fy11/pdf/summary.pdf)

We'd be closer to a balanced budget, but ~$180 billion short.
I'll try to remember where I saw it. They listed numbers for '07 and '08.

And that is surprising that we came in under budget...that's not something you're going to see in the media I'm guessing.

Isn't 180billion just a rounding error at this point?

[renowiggum]

Isn't 180billion just a rounding error at this point?

Compared to a ~$1.5 trillion deficit, it's a lot closer to rounding error, but compared to our recent past (200-300 billion) it's just on the small side of our normal stomping grounds.

[Stuck in Seattle]

Compared to a ~$1.5 trillion deficit, it's a lot closer to rounding error, but compared to our recent past (200-300 billion) it's just on the small side of our normal stomping grounds.
I forgot the dang sarcasm tag again!

[renowiggum]

I forgot the dang sarcasm tag again!

I have no sense of humor. I am a mindless machine of facts and numbers, destined to suck the life out of a fun debate.

Which is to say that I laughed at your statement, because I think it's painfully true.