In 1987 the United States government was formulating plans to build what would become the Yucca Mountain disposal site for radioactive waste in Nevada. The government of Nevada and its constituents were none too keen to have extensive stockpiles of radioactive waste in their general vicinity.

Therefore they resorted to drastic measures to stop the Federal government’s plans. So, in 1987, they formed Bullfrog County inside of Nye County where Yucca Mountain was located.

Bullfrog County,

Consisted of an uninhabited 144-square mile area around Yucca Mountain.

By creating Bullfrog County the Nevada government hoped to make funding for the Yucca Mountain site unfeasible. Previously the Federal government had planned to give money directly to Nye County, bypassing the state government.

But, since the population of Bullfrog County was zero, the federal money would therefore go straight to the Nevada treasury.

Furthermore, property tax rates in the county were set at 20 percent…the highest allowable by the state constitution.

The sky high property taxes were further meant to dissuade the Federal government from building at Yucca Mountain.

The Nevada government made no secret of why Bullfrog County was created, stipulating,

That if the repository was not built in the county, it would be dissolved and reincorporated into Nye County.

Bullfrog County is “the only county with a population of 0 known to have existed in the United States,” it had no district attorney, no sheriffs, no paved roads, no buildings and no infrastructure at all. It seemed Nevada had created the perfect stumbling block for the Feds.

Bullfrog’s county seat was located in Nevada’s state capital, Carson City, some 270 miles to the North.

Unfortunately for Nevada though, there were some problems with Bullfrog County. For, in Nevada, all criminal trials have to take place in the county where the crime occurred. AND the trials must occur before a jury of residents of that county.

Of course this could not occur in Bullfrog County, which created the odd scenario where Bullfrog County was the perfect place to commit a crime without fear of punishment.

Nye County soon saw these flaws in Bullfrog County, and sued the Nevada government who decided,

Not to defend the law in court, since in its view it was likely unconstitutional.

So, in 1989, after only two years of illustrious existence, Bullfrog County was dissolved back into Nye County, and Yucca Mountain site began building in 2002.