Our View: Nuclear waste isn't for Wyoming

The thought of nuclear waste being stored in Wyoming makes us sick.

While we’re certain a large number of residents feel the same as we do, there are some who believe it is an opportunity for Wyoming to make some money during this economic downturn.

According to Wyofile.com, the Joint Minerals, Business and Economic Development Committee plans to discuss what is described as a “consent-based effort” to determine areas to store nuclear waste. The idea of a site being based on consent comes from the federal government’s decision to store nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain in Nevada, against the state’s wishes.

We can only hope the idea of nuclear waste being stored anywhere in Wyoming is quickly buried in a deep hole and forgotten about. Wyoming is a state with wide-ranging beauty. Natural wonders exist almost everywhere, ranging from Devil’s Tower and Vedauwoo to the multitude of national forests, lakes and streams. Even in Sweetwater County, the Red Desert has its own beauty and places like Pine Mountain and Little Mountain have been considered the county’s gems for generations. If the state allows a nuclear waste facility to be established anywhere within the Cowboy State’s borders, the facility would mar the aesthetic beauty of any region it would be placed in. Beyond that, there is the practicalities of nuclear waste containment that should worry Wyomingites as well. Nuclear waste is highly radioactive for thousands of years after its initial use. A storage facility would ideally need to be located somewhere where the spent fuels could remain undisturbed for a very long time.

Installing a storage site would be an extremely long-term commitment that, if compromised, could pose problems to our children, grand-children and future descendants. Ruptured or deteriorated storage units would contaminate the land and wildlife for generations.

Storing nuclear waste in Wyoming is an idea that shouldn’t be entertained. The thought that it could help the state reclaim some lost revenue is at best short sighted because it places a tremendous risk on the lands a storage facility would be located. The long-term risk is not worth the short-term benefit the state would receive.

Any legislator supporting this idea should be voted out of office, as the person is risking the legacy the state’s residents have passed down from one generation to the next: its lands.