In their letter to congressional leaders, the business leaders wrote, “Safety and security remain a top priority for all Americans and any problems with the transport of more than 110,000 metric tons of nuclear waste to the site throughout the country, or issues with its storage there, would bring potentially devastating consequences to the local, state and national communities. Moreover, with taxes on Nevada’s tourism industry providing 42 percent of the state general fund, even a modest decline in visitors’ perception about the region could have severe negative implications for the state’s economy and future growth.”

Yucca Mountain is located just 90 miles from Las Vegas, Nevada, which welcomed 42 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.