Washington, D.C. – American Gaming Association (AGA) President and CEO Geoff Freeman sent a letter today to the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on the Environment and the Economy which is holding a hearing on the Nuclear Waste Policy Amendments Act of 2017, which would revive Yucca Mountain as a nuclear waste repository:

“Yucca Mountain is located just 90 miles from the world’s premier tourist, convention and entertainment destination in Las Vegas, Nevada, which welcomed nearly 43 million visitors last year. Over the past decade, the Greater Las Vegas area is one of the fastest growing in the U.S. with a population that now exceeds 2.1 million people according to an estimate from the U.S. Census Bureau. Any problems with the transport of nuclear waste to the site, or issues with its storage there, would bring potentially devastating consequences to the local, state and national economies.

The gaming industry in Nevada alone supports 430,463 jobs, pays more than $18.7 billion in wages and generates $7.9 billion in federal, state and local tax revenues. This economic engine is a critical part of the broader U.S. gaming industry operating in 40 states—including Illinois and New York—where together casinos directly employ more than 30,000 people and generate nearly $2.5 billion in tax revenue to fund critical public works such as infrastructure, education and public safety.

The AGA stands with the many concerned citizens, small business operators and bipartisan members of Congress in staunch opposition to any attempt to restart the repository licensing process and will work tirelessly to ensure that radioactive waste is never stored anywhere near the world’s entertainment capital in Las Vegas. I hope we can work together to forge a more feasible solution that addresses both your concerns, and those of Nevadans.”

Read the letter here.

Background:
In late December, following Donald Trump’s victory over Hillary Clinton, the AGA sent the Trump transition team a memo detailing a number of policy issues critical to the casino gaming industry. Among them were issues like the industry’s stance on illegal gambling, sports betting, immigration, travel and tourism and Yucca Mountain.

In March, following Donald Trump’s proposed budget that would allocate $120 million to restore Yucca Mountain, the AGA released a statement opposing any efforts to revive the nuclear waste repository.

Read the full memo to Trump’s transition team here.

About AGA: The American Gaming Association is the premier national trade group representing the $240 billion U.S. casino industry, which supports 1.7 million jobs in 40 states.  AGA members include commercial and tribal casino operators, suppliers and other entities affiliated with the gaming industry.  It is the mission of the AGA to be the single most effective champion of the industry, relentlessly protecting against harmful and often misinformed public policies, and paving a path for growth, innovation and reinvestment.