Friday, June 21, 2002 | 9:42 a.m.
It was a 4.4 earthquake at about 5:40 a.m. The Department of Energy has spent 24 years studying the site, including the issue of earthquakes. In fact, the Yucca Mountain scientists have used earthquakes greater than last Friday's to design the repository.
The repository designs the DOE is looking at could withstand an earthquake with 1,000 times more energy than last Friday's and a regional earthquake with 30,000 times more energy than the one reported this morning.
Let's not get caught up in the media hype of this. Let's let the Nuclear Regulatory Commission make the decision on the site's suitability and that's what would happen if the Senate approves the resolution of Yucca Mountain.
Let's be solution-oriented on this issue. One way or another I'm sort of getting tired of this issue. After 24 years of study I think it's time to come to some resolution on the site.
REBECCA M. SMITH
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