"The Indians in Skull Valley are looking for a way to make money for the impoverished tribe. The tribe expects the nuclear waste facility to create 60 local jobs and provide a continuous revenue stream that will allow it to purchase more land and attract wayward Goshutes back to the reservation to keep their culture going.

If Utah doesn't offer the Goshutes a better way to make money on their reservation, the Indians are going to continue to fight the state's efforts to block nuclear waste. In those circumstances, they would be justified. Nobody should be forced to accept poverty.

The problem is that there aren't too many other lucrative business plans that can work in remote, arid Skull Valley. Cattle ranching has been tried there, but it won't give the Indians the quick profits that PFS offers. Information-based business eliminates the geographic hurdle but also lacks a major payoff.

Perhaps Utah and the Goshutes should consider another kind of business plan: Permit casino gambling on the reservation."

Get the Story:
Herald Poll: Indian casino or nuclear waste? (The Daily Herald 3/4)

Public Decision:
In the matter of Private Fuel Storage (February 24, 2005)

Relevant Links:
Skull Valley Goshute Tribe - http://www.skullvalleygoshutes.org
Private Fuel Storage - http://www.privatefuelstorage.com

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