DOE calls off Yucca Mountain hearings

Benjamin Grove and Mary Manning

Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2001 | 9:56 a.m.

In light of the terrorist attacks, Department of Energy officials this morning postponed hearings scheduled for this week on the proposed Yucca Mountain nuclear waste site.

The hearings -- Wednesday in Amargosa Valley and Thursday in Pahrump -- were to gather public comment on a DOE report that sees no major obstacles in building the nation's only high-level nuclear waste dump at the mountain, 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas.

A similar, 8 1/2-hour hearing last week in the Las Vegas Valley turned testy and evoked criticism from Nevada officials, who said Nevada residents did not have a fair chance to speak because of limited time.

As of Monday about 10 people had signed up to speak at Longstreet Casino in Amargosa Valley, less than 20 miles southwest of Yucca Mountain, DOE spokesman Allen Benson said.

For those wishing to sign up before the beginning of the hearing at 5 p.m., DOE has a toll-free phone number, Benson said. The number is 1-800-967-3477.

Last week's hearing was the first of three designed to give Nevadans a forum to discuss -- in most cases, blast -- a plan to bury the nation's high-level nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain, 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas.

The DOE plans to send President Bush a recommendation on the site by the end of the year, Lake Barrett, acting director of DOE's Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management, said Monday. Congress and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission must approve the project before trucks and trains begin hauling 77,000 tons of highly radioactive waste to the site.

Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., said he hopes to speak to Energy Secretary and former Michigan senator Spencer Abraham today about scheduling another public hearing in Las Vegas, possibly over two days, to allow as many residents to speak as possible.

Reid also invited Abraham to the hearings in Amargosa Valley downstream from Yucca, roughly 65 miles northwest of Las Vegas; and Pahrump, about 50 miles west of Las Vegas. Abraham has not accepted.

"I'm going to tell the Secretary, look Spence, come out and see for yourself the vitriolic feelings people in Nevada have," Reid said. "He's not going to get out of this with two more hearings in Pahrump and Amargosa Valley."

The Nevada senator added that the DOE is "going through the motions, but they're not really listening."

The DOE's Barrett said the first hearing "was not a satisfying experience for anyone involved." While Abraham has asked the DOE for more opportunities for public involvement, the department still plans to target a site recommendation for the end of the year, he said.

Nevada's four lawmakers in Congress do not plan to speak from Washington via satellite television at the meetings, as they did at the North Las Vegas meeting.

Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., and Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., said they are eager to have a hearing in Las Vegas after a number of DOE studies are released, including a final environmental impact statement and finalized data about the path of groundwater at Yucca. Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., has said the DOE should hold as many as 10 hearings and lengthen the public comment period beyond Oct. 5.

Gov. Kenny Guinn has requested more DOE hearings at convenient times, perhaps over several days, so as many people as possible could contribute their views.