Nuclear check stations sought

      CARSON CITY -- With Congress near to deciding whether to ship nuclear waste to Nevada, a veteran state senator is asking for the establishment of four inspection stations at state borders.
      "Whether we like it or not, waste storage is coming, it is apparent to me," said Sen. Lawrence Jacobsen, R-Minden. "Some day it is going to happen."
      Jacobsen asked the Senate Natural Resources Committee on Monday to approve a bill that would appropriate $66 million to construct and equip the four stations. Annual operating costs would be $5.8 million.
      President Clinton has promised to veto a federal bill that would send temporary waste to Nevada while the government continues to evaluate a permanent storage site at Yucca Mountain, 100 miles northwest of Las Vegas. A Senate vote is expected today on whether to use the Nevada Test Site for temporary storage.
      But Bob Loux, administrator of the Nevada Agency for Nuclear Projects, called Jacobsen's inspection station bill premature.
      Even if Congress approves the plan, he said waste would not be sent to Nevada for temporary storage before 2001 or 2002, and Yucca Mountain would not be ready before 2010 or 2012.
      "There is time to consider it (inspection stations) at the Legislature in 1999 or in 2001," Loux said.
      Loux said Sens. Harry Reid and Richard Bryan, both D-Nev., have told him they have at least 37 votes against the bill. Only 34 are needed to sustain Clinton's veto.
      For 15 years, Loux and Nevada governors have strongly opposed bringing nuclear waste to Nevada.
      Sen. Mark James, R-Las Vegas, also questioned the legality of Jacobsen's proposal. A 1989 law prohibits the storage of nuclear waste in Nevada, though Congress can pass laws that supercede state rules.
      "I wouldn't want to do something that would make them (Congress) think we are getting ready for it," James said.
      Jacobsen said the Department of Energy has mentioned to him that federal funds would be available to build and operate inspection stations. He has been a member of the Legislature since 1963 and served for years on the High-Level Nuclear Waste Committee. Jacobsen said he has visited Yucca Mountain 13 times in his tenure and trusts it can be made safe to store waste.
      Chairman Dean Rhoads, R-Tuscarora, asked staff attorneys to determine if the Jacobsen proposal is legal.
      Jacobsen said the inspection stations, which would be staffed by Nevada Highway Patrol officers, are critical to protect the public.
      "It is better to be safe than sorry," he said. "It is imperative we have some kind of monitoring stations."
      Jacobsen received the support of several citizens.
      "If we don't inject ourselves in this issue, we will lose all control," resident Robert Gittins said.
      Dr. William Redel added that the bill shows "enlightenment" by preparing for the future.
      But League of Women Voters representative Abby Johnson said the proposal would give the public a false sense of security.
      ""The public cannot trust the government on this issue," she said.