Nevada lawmakers urge Bush to request board chief’s resignation

Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2003 | 8:59 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- The chairman of the congressional panel of experts that reviews Yucca Mountain science cannot be objective and should be removed from the job, Nevada's lawmakers in Congress said in a letter today.

President Bush in June appointed University of Wisconsin, Madison nuclear engineer Michael Corradini to lead the 11-member Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board. Congress established the panel in 1987 to provide independent expert analysis of the Department of Energy's Yucca project.

But Corradini has come under fire from Nevada officials who say he may be biased in favor of the proposed nuclear waste repository. They point to Corradini's testimony to Congress last year when he said the stalemate over Yucca was more of a political than technical issue.

They also question a $2 million Energy Department grant awarded to Corradini's university. The department awarded the grant after Corradini made favorable remarks about the department's Yucca project.

In a letter to President Bush, the five Nevada lawmakers urged Bush to request Corradini's resignation. The lawmakers also said that the nomination process for members to the board, handled primarily through the National Academy of Sciences, should be re-evaluated.

"The Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board has been one of the most trusted and respected government entities involved in this project," the lawmakers said in the letter. "Unfortunately, the appointment of Dr. Corradini has seriously undermined that trust."

Corradini has said he intends to maintain the review board's reputation for independence.