State to Hold Public Workshops on DOE’s Yucca Mountain Environmental Impact Statement

Friday, Sept. 17, 1999 | 4:31 a.m.

AP BUSINESS WIRE

CARSON CITY, Nev.--The state of Nevada Agency for Nuclear Projects is sponsoring a series of public workshops designed to encourage public participation and comment on the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Yucca Mountain draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

DOE is conducting public hearings on the draft EIS over the next four months in 10 Nevada communities. State-sponsored workshops will be held in each of the communities where DOE plans to conduct hearings and will prepare Nevadans to effectively comment on the draft EIS. DOE is required to address the public's comments in the final Environmental Impact Statement.

State workshops are being scheduled so as to occur no more than one week prior to each DOE hearing. The dates and locations for the State workshops are as follows: -0-

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The State's decision to sponsor these workshops is part of an effort to ensure that Nevadans are afforded assistance in the reviewing what is a lengthy and complicated draft EIS document and in presenting comments at DOE's hearings.

Agency for Nuclear Projects Executive Director Bob Loux pointed out that DOE's public hearing format can be confusing.

"DOE has decided to weigh down its hearings with lengthy presentations and off-the-record question and answer sessions prior to taking any public testimony on the EIS," said Loux. "We are concerned that people not be mislead about what comments are being made part of the official record. We're also concerned that people not be discouraged from making their comments by actions of DOE personnel during the Q and A sessions."

"We hope these pre-hearing workshops will prove useful, informative, and accessible for anyone planning on participating in the DOE EIS public hearings," he said.

For information on the State workshops, contact the Agency for Nuclear Projects at 775/687-3744 or toll free within Nevada at 800/366-0990.

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