On the recordDecember 8, 2011
The city of Las Vegas, which is the major metropolitan area, is a hundred miles from Yucca Mountain. What people have a hard time understanding about the nuclear test area, this is where the nuclear test site was. The Federal Government owns numerous parcels of land around Yucca Mountain. The communities right outside the reservation--and I think the whole test site area is like the size of New Hampshire--but the communities, what's interesting about this debate, the communities right outside the gate are fully supportive of Yucca Mountain being the repository for high-level nuclear waste. And why do I know that? Because I visited them. I've been in their communities. I went to the community center. They welcomed me, and we talked about how this was important for the country and their local communities.
