Guinn seeks protection of Yucca funds

Thursday, Aug. 17, 2000 | 9:34 a.m.

Gov. Kenny Guinn has asked Energy Secretary Bill Richardson to protect the state's oversight funds for Yucca Mountain, the proposed site of a high-level nuclear waste repository, after a federal official threatened to cut the money.

In a letter dated Monday, Guinn expressed concern over comments made last week by Ivan Itkin, director of the Department of Energy's Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management, who told local government representatives in Las Vegas that if Congress does not provide the DOE's full request of $438 million, the state's $2.5 million share could be cut.

The DOE is studying Yucca Mountain as the only potential site for a repository to hold the nation's 77,000 tons of high-level nuclear waste. The president and Congress would have to agree, and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission would have to license a proposed repository, which could open by 2010.

The $2.5 million is for state and local governments to oversee the validity of the DOE's research.

Guinn said he had "grave concern" over Itkin's remarks and asked Richardson to intervene.

The DOE has not replied to the governor's letter, Guinn's spokesman Jack Finn said Wednesday.

In June the House passed an appropriations bill with $413 million for Yucca studies, a reduction of $24.5 million from the DOE's request.

Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., led a successful drive to further cut the Yucca funds to $351 million in the Senate. Now a conference committee must work out the differences.

Congress slashed the funds for state oversight in 1995 after a federal audit raised some questions on how the money was spent by the Agency for Nuclear Projects. The state has been trying to restore the annual $2.5 million since then.