Knappster: Yucca grandstanding neglects real impacts

By George Knapp

The latest installment of the Yucca Mountain Travelin' Road Show hit town last week in the form of a House subcommittee hearing at the Clark County Government Center. Once again, our politicians and bureaucrats were able to rattle sabers and trot out their favorite boogeymen as they solemnly discussed the perils of transporting nuke waste through our state. TV and print media dutifully reported these dangers.

Could it be that media coverage for the politicos was the reason for holding this hearing in the first place? I ask that question because of blatant omissions in the list of invited guests. The hearing focused on possible rail routes for shipping the waste through Nevada. In particular, the so-called Caliente Corridor was discussed ad nauseam. So why weren't any of the people who live in the path of that proposed corridor invited to speak? Their absence seems a bit glaring.

It could be argued that by holding a congressional hearing on this proposed route, it almost gives it an aura of inevitability. Sure, there could be future arguments about this piece of track or that particular stretch, but it almost sounds like everyone has agreed that something approximating the Caliente Corridor is the preferred route, primarily because it would mean the Yucca-bound waste would be less likely to pass through Clark County.

That might be preferable for the people of Las Vegas, but I wonder how the folks of Lincoln and Nye counties feel about it. Some of their elected officials seem to be falling all over themselves to embrace the Yucca project because it would mean money and jobs for their struggling economies. but I'll bet the people most directly affected have a different take on the issue.

Some of the ranching families whose spreads would be dissected by the Yucca rail line have been working the land out there for more than 100 years. The rail line will cut their grazing lands in half, and could pretty much doom their livelihoods for all time. But, of course, the real votes are in Clark County, so a few ranchers may have to be sacrificed when the time comes. Maybe that's why we didn't hear from any of them at the big congressional shindig.

Someone else likely to be affected by the Caliente Corridor plan is world-renowned artist Michael Heizer. Heizer's massive art project, dubbed "City," has assumed the mantle of rural legend over the years, but it is very real. The artist began work on it in 1971. He's since acquired about 30 square miles of land in a remote part of Lincoln County, and has been plugging away ever since. The project was inspired by a Heizer visit to Chichen Itza. The current project is reminiscent of ancient archaeological sites, constructed on a scale that boggles the mind.

This sculpture is built around a sunken gravel pit. Three gargantuan rectangular structures surround the pit. Heizer and his team have been working on it for more than three decades, although they rarely talk about it (and NEVER with mere Nevada media.) Anyone interested in getting a glimpse of this project can check out the website of the New York Times. Writer Michael Kimmelman authored a December 1999 piece about this so-called "Colossus of the Desert," including several photos. Heizer has made it clear that he has no interest in coverage by Nevada writers, even about the Yucca issues, and he has reportedly threatened to sue anyone who flies over the property to take any pictures.

Needless to say, the not-so-friendly artist wasn't pleased to hear that a nuke waste railroad line was planned for the outskirts of his land. He told his neighbors that if the Caliente Corridor becomes reality, he will use his bulldozers to completely bury the "City" project and that he will walk away from it, in the belief that noisy trains will destroy the whole vibe.

The ranchers who know the land better than anyone don't have any friends at the New York Times, so their story hasn't been told at all. They feel as if they alone are being asked to bear the burden of the rail spur and aren't happy that their views haven't even been solicited by all the folks who presumably represent them. I'm guessing they are more concerned with how they will feed their families than with what will happen to an artsy-fartsy scuplture in the middle of nowhere. Maybe the next time the congressional folks stage a dog-and-pony show about Yucca Mountain, they will invite a few ranch hands to the ceremonies.

Colorado River Commission revisited

Our item last week about the looming battle between the Colorado River Commission and Nevada Power Co. appears to be growing some legs. Perhaps you've seen a few explanations in other media about those taped conversations involving CRC traders and the good folks at Enron. As we reported, Nevada Power believes the CRC conspired with Enron to harm the power company and to possibly pave the way for a later public takeover of the utility. Nevada Power is asking a local judge to allow the public release of audiotapes that may shed light on the relationship between CRC and Enron, among others.

In subsequent stories, we are already seeing a strategy emerge from the CRC and its supporters. A CRC honcho told the Review-Journal that there may have been some "trash talk" among its traders. Southern Nevada Water Authority boss Pat Mulroy conceded during a TV interview that some "discrepancies" may have been uttered in heated moments. This sounds a bit like spin to Knappster, as if they are preparing us for revelations to come.

I'm sure there are those who will want to paint this as a fantasy dreamed up by a vindictive Nevada Power. However, revelations are likely to surface this week from the direction of California, where entities other than Nevada Power are going to make statements about the CRC's involvement with Enron, statements that will not be construed as flattering.

Names, faces, places

The rumor about conservative moralizer William Bennett and his forays into Las Vegas sleaze aren't going away anytime soon. Of course, readers will recall last year's revelations about Bennett's gambling habits during Las Vegas trips. Knappster also hinted last year that there were other, darker tales floating around. Some of those have now surfaced in other media. Basically, reporters from a few news outlets are trying to find out what Bennett's relationship was with a muscular Las Vegas dominatrix. Someone close to the woman has been providing details about the alleged relationship. The source has even provided links to video snippets of the dominatrix during weight-training sessions. Yikes. So far, the story has yet to break, perhaps because there is no smoking gun to speak of. ... A memo sent to all employees of Boyd Gaming urges everyone to spill the beans if they learn of any unethical or immoral behavior within the company. The squeaky-clean Boyd organization has even set up a hotline for in-house informants (866-4U2-TELL). The memo encourages employees to do what's right for the company and for themselves. The employee who sent a copy to us wasn't very complimentary in describing the memo. ... Former Channel 13 news photographer Clay Whittier has reportedly died in Southern California. Knappster remembers climbing up to the top of White Sides Mountain with Clay several years ago in order to snag some video of Area 51 in the distance. Whittier was only in his mid-40s. ... Like everyone else, this reporter was floored by the news about Mike O'Callaghan. I'd been in frequent phone conversations with the former gov. He had called to offer his help in getting a scholarship for Noel Day, the daughter of late journalist Ned Day. True to form, Big Mike didn't want any public credit for the help he had offered. Unfortunately, he passed away before our little plan came to fruition. ... Say, do you suppose the feds used the PATRIOT Act to go after Kenny Wynn as part of an ongoing investigation into possible child porn? It's amazing, considering how versatile that anti-terrorism legislation has become. ... The little shopping center on the Strip that is home to the Guiness Museum, Arby's and other small businesses has reportedly been sold to make way for, what else, some sort of high-rise condo project. Anyone got any info on this? ... Paul Lowden, the son of Paul and Sue Lowden, got his mug on the sport page of a Canadian newspaper the other day. Young Lowden helped lead his Peninsula Panthers, a junior (semi-pro) hockey team, to victory in a playoff game. The Lowdens could certainly use some good news in their lives about now. ... Knappster screwed up in his plug for a new eastern Las Vegas restaurant last week. The name is Euro Place, not "Euro's," but as noted, the plans for a grand opening on March 13, with free food and booze, were correctly described.