GAO: Yucca would ‘not be practical’

Friday, Dec. 21, 2001 | 11 a.m.

The Energy Department should indefinitely postpone construction of a high-level nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain, the General Accounting Office said in a report today.

The GAO, the nonpartisan investigative arm of Congress, concluded in a 35-page final report released this morning that making a site recommendation at this time would "not be prudent or practical."

Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham had been expected to recommend Yucca Mountain to President Bush this winter. But in a recent Las Vegas visit, he said no decision has been made and he has no deadline.

The report says, "We agree that the secretary has the discretion to make such a recommendation at this time; however, we question the prudence and practicality of making such a recommendation at this time, given the expressed statutory timeframe for a license application."

If Abraham were to recommend Yucca now, the law requires the Energy Department apply for a license from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission within 90 days. However, the report says 293 technical and scientific issues remain unanswered.

"We are glad GAO has acknowledged in their final report that the Secretary has the discretion to make a decision on Yucca Mountain suitability at this time. What this tell us is, that contrary to the opinions expressed by some that the draft GAO report signaled the beginning of the end for this program, the final report may in fact be the end of the beginning -- whatever the decision may be," said Joe Davis, Energy Department spokesperson.

The final report included comments from the Energy Department, but the bulk of the response to a draft report released earlier this month was based on technical aspects such as wording.

Bechtel SAIC, Yucca's main contractor, took issue with the draft's characterization of its difficulties with the project.

The draft said that Bechtel scientists had said they would not be able to complete studies of the mountain until 2006. In the final report, the company denied that it would be unable to complete them on time.

A DOE spokesman could not be reached this morning for comment.

The Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board and a National Academy of Sciences panel have criticized the Energy Department's research and progress.

To date, the department has spent $8 billion and 15 years studying the site, 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas.

Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., requested the GAO investigation in January after receiving an anonymous letter criticizing the project.

"The conclusions of this report is a major victory in Nevada's campaign to stop the Yucca Mountain project," Berkley said today. "The GAO report combined with Nevada's aggressive strategy in the courts and on Capitol Hill puts us in the best position to kill the Yucca Mountain project that we've ever been in. The momentum has changed 180 degrees. The approval of Yucca Mountain is not inevitable."

Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., who joined Berkley's request, was flying to Nevada and could not be reached for comment, press aide Tessa Hafen said today.

Nevada officials, who oppose the repository, lauded the report.

Bob Loux, Nevada Agency for Nuclear Projects director, said, "We didn't think there would be any substantial response, because the GAO used the DOE's own data," Loux said. "What else could (it) say?"

The Energy Department and Nuclear Energy Institute -- the trade organization for nuclear utilities -- are the main supporters of a Yucca repository for 77,000 tons of radioactive waste, Loux said.