State says no dust problem at Yucca

Friday, Feb. 13, 2004 | 11:27 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- The state Division of Environmental Protection said today an investigation at Yucca Mountain Thursday showed there were no violations of blowing dust regulation.

Division Administrator Allen Biaggi said there were winds of about 25 miles per hour while the inspectors were at the site for a "good chunk of the day." He said they did not see any dust coming off piles of tailings from the tunnel.

"The piles were in stable condition," Biaggi said. He said during similar inspections in 2001, 2002 and 2003 there was no blowing dust. During last year's inspection there were 35 mile per hour winds, he said.

The Energy Department is boring a large tunnel at Yucca Mountain as the potential burial ground for nuclear waste. And the rocks and dirt being removed from the tunnel are dumped outside the area.

"We're in clean air compliance," he said. "We don't have authority for air quality in the tunnels or the ventilation system or any of the building.

"Our focus is the generation of dust from these piles."

Allen Benson, a spokesman for the Energy Department, which operates the site, said it was "no surprise" that state officials did not find any dust violations in its inspection of rock and dirt piles at Yucca Mountain.

Benson said there have been five previous inspections by state officials and the project has never been cited.

"We maintain our own air maintenance system and we have never exceeded the limits," said Benson. "We're happy to have an independent, objective inspection that verifies that we are doing what we need to do," he said.