Public hearings set on Yucca rail system

Suzanne Struglinski

Thursday, April 22, 2004 | 9:37 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- The Energy Department has added public meetings in Las Vegas and Reno on the Energy Department's plan to build a new rail line in Caliente and extended the public comment period by a week.

The department's announcement came late Wednesday, the same day Nevada's congressional delegation wrote Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham asking for an additional 45 days of the public comment period.

The department announced a 45-day comment period on April 8 when it formally selected the Caliente route to ship nuclear waste via train to Yucca Mountain, 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas. The deadline was extended to June 1 on Wednesday.

The nuclear waste storage site still needs final approval but the department is moving ahead with plans on shipping waste there.

"Ninety days is the minimum time required to allow the public and affected parties to understand and evaluate the proposed action and prepare comments," the delegation wrote in a letter to Abraham.

In addition to asking for the extension, Sens. Harry Reid, D-Nev., and John Ensign, R-Nev., along with Reps. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., and Jon Porter, R-Nev., want more meetings throughout the state and the country beyond the three currently planned for next month in Amargosa Valley, Goldfield and Caliente.

Meetings will be held from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on:

The dates and times for meetings in Reno and Las Vegas will be announced when they become available.