Budget cuts, layoffs could slow Yucca Mountain study

Friday, May 9, 2003 | 11:27 a.m.

Two separate events Thursday -- a possible budget cut and announcement of potential layoffs -- could slow down efforts to build a nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain.

Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., convinced the Senate Armed Services Committee to unanimously approve his amendment to divert $70 million from the Defense Nuclear Waste Disposal Program, which includes waste storage at Yucca Mountain 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas.

Separately, Christopher Kouts, acting director of the Department of Energy's Yucca Mountain systems analysis office, informed the National Academy of Sciences that there could be layoffs this summer affecting 50 to 100 Yucca employees because the department has been struggling with budget cuts.

"If they are laying off scientists who need to complete studies, that could materially affect the Yucca Mountain Project," Bob Loux, director of the Nevada Agency for Nuclear Project, said today.

Yucca Mountain spokesman Allen Benson could not be reached for comment this morning.

Because Kouts did not specify the type of employees who could be laid off, Loux said it would be premature to speculate on the impact that would have on the Yucca project. But Loux said it is looking less likely that the Energy Department will be able to meet a December 2004 deadline to submit a licensing application to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to give a green light.

"They have 293 studies that need to be completed before they submit their licensing application," Loux said. "The DOE would like to blame the budget for all their problems. But the department has had many major scheduling problems and they have had an inability to complete certain studies to the satisfaction of the NRC."

Ensign's amendment would divert the $70 million instead to refurbish the National Nuclear Security Administration's laboratories, nuclear weapons plants and other facilities. The bill now moves to the Senate floor.

"It was apparent to me that the Department of Defense was requesting increases in their nuclear waste disposal program with the ultimate intention of storing the waste in Nevada and cutting their funding request was the best way to counter their strategy," Ensign said today.

"My amendment not only slows the effort to bring nuclear waste to Nevada, it provides the necessary funds to improve facilities that are important to our nation's defense. I'm grateful to the other senators on the Armed Services Committee for agreeing to it."

Sens. Ensign and Harry Reid, D-Nev., issued a joint announcement earlier this week that they were planning to hold a field hearing in Las Vegas on May 28 to address quality assurance concerns related to Yucca Mountain. Yucca whistle blowers are expected to testify.

Ensign spokesman Jack Finn and Reid spokeswoman Tessa Hafen both said today that the hearing agenda will include a probe into reported payoffs of fired employees by Yucca contractors who had expressed concerns about the project.

"Our goal is to get all the whistle-blowers to testify," Hafen said.