Scientist linked to Yucca e-mails remains on payroll

Suzanne Struglinski

Thursday, April 7, 2005 | 9:36 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- A scientist under investigation for allegedly falsifying documents at the Yucca Mountain project briefly worked on the project again, despite the fact that the Energy Department already had discovered e-mails in which the scientist had written about making up data.

The U.S. Geological Survey disclosed the scientist's additional work on the project after USGS Director Charles Groat told Nevada's House members Tuesday that no one involved in writing the e-mails was still working on the project, though some were still working for the government.

This infuriated Nevada lawmakers, who wanted the employees in question to stop working at least until the investigations were over.

"I can't believe these folks are still on the payroll," said Rep. Jon Porter, R-Nev.

Groat said corrective actions would take place but that he has not spoken to the individuals under investigation.

"Why would we want those people still in our employ?" said Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev.,

Groat said other USGS employees are still working on the Yucca Mountain repository but not those in question. But on Wednesday, USGS contacted the House Federal Workforce and Agency Organization Subcommittee, of which Porter is chairman to clarify Groat's comments.

USGS spokeswoman A.B. Wade said the agency found that the department offered the scientist, identified by the subcommittee as "USGS employee 1," a 40-hour contract on March 9 to help recreate computer files. The department was authorized to implement the contract on March 15.

Wade refused to identify the employee, who is still under investigation.

The department made the e-mails public on March 16, but internal documents show they knew about problems with the data in December 2004 but did not revisit the issue until earlier last month.

Wade said the department needed a computer program to run new models on water infiltration, which the employee had worked on in the past. When the scientist did not have the file, the department contracted him to help recreate the file.

Once USGS contacted the department about the contract, the contract was immediately halted, Wade said. The scientist will not be recreating the files, but is still on the USGS payroll, Wade said.

Two other people whose names appear on the e-mails also are still working on the Yucca project, Wade said. They are not authors of the e-mails but appeared in the "cc" section, meaning they were sent copies of the messages, Wade said. These people do USGS work full time on the proposed nuclear waste repository at Yucca but are paid by the Energy Department.

"USGS employee 1" works for the USGS in California.

Criminal investigations by the FBI and the inspectors general at the Energy and Interior departments are under way regarding the e-mails.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.