After 2 decades of fighting, New Mexico finally agreed to the WIPP transuranic nuclear waste dump based on financial promises from the DOE. Here’s what really happened:
1. No jobs- local residents were not hired. Out of 800 jobs created, 75-80% were filled by out-of-state workers brought in by the contractor.
2. Unemployment went up since WIPP opened.
3. Local businesses moved away. New spinoff jobs and industries were not created as promised.
4. No money for roads- New Mexico had to take the DOE to court to receive the promised $57 million for highways and $20 million a year for 14 years. New Mexico was still waiting for its money when this was written in late 2001.
Doris M. Jackson, Chair of the Amargosa Valley Advisory Council, President of the Chamber of Commerce and a local business owner, says that in the 1980’s she was all for the Repository, falling for the hype about growth and jobs. But now, she knows that out of the 3,000 people employed by the Yucca Mountain Project, only five have come from Amargosa Valley. She has visited the WIPP transuranic nuclear waste dump in New Mexico, attended many seminars, and learned from New Mexico’s experience. Broad promises of funding made to New Mexico, which eventually secured approval for the WIPP dump after years of controversy, were defaulted once the trucks began to roll. Lawsuits have already proven that property values plummet. Homeowner and health insurance do not cover damage from radiological accidents.
" I don’t want to leave this mess for my grandchildren," says Doris Jackson, "Not when there are other alternatives. In daily life, you can’t just bury your problems and walk away. The same goes for the nation."