Hearings to look at Yucca

Monday, May 1, 2000 | 10:50 a.m.

Hearings

The Nuclear Regulatory commission will hold hearings to explain the licensing process Thursday at:

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has scheduled two public meetings on Thursday in Southern Nevada to explain the licensing process for a high-level nuclear waste repository in case the dump proposed for Yucca Mountain is found to be scientifically sound and an application goes to the agency.

The meetings are an effort to help people understand the technical and complicated licensing process, NRC spokeswoman Sue Gagner said.

The NRC procedure is similar to a court case, requiring the U.S. Department of Energy to prove that a repository would work. Yucca Mountain, 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas, is the only site under study as a repository for 77,000 tons of the nation's high-level nuclear waste. If it passes scientific muster, it could be built by 2010.

Before an application is made to the NRC, the president and Congress must approve a DOE request to build a repository.

The commission could take three or four years to consider an application.

The first NRC meeting is an information workshop designed for professional staff of affected interests, such as government agencies. It is open to the public and begins with an NRC overview of the licensing process.

Then NRC staff will show how voluminous scientific information will be managed and how the technical staff evaluates a DOE license application. NRC inspections of a site will also be explained.

The second meeting is for the public and will allow for questions and answers.

NRC staff members will also be available for informal discussions with anyone who wishes further information, Gagner said.