Yucca Web Site Criticized

Yucca Web Site Criticized

Jul 05 - Las Vegas Review - Journal

Seventeen environmental organizations on Friday called on the Energy Department to withdraw its certification of a Yucca Mountain licensing database, claiming the material is incomplete and inaccessible to the public.

Segments of the Internet site ( www.lsnnet.gov ) that are to contain Energy Department documents related to the proposed nuclear waste repository remained dark on Friday.

A spokeswoman for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which maintains the site, said those portions might become active today. Administrators were harmonizing computer coding after removing 150,000 documents that DOE claimed contained homeland security and other privileged information.

Even when it becomes functional, the database, known as the Licensing Support Network, will not contain all the technical reports, letters, science studies and e-mails the Energy Department certified this week as part of its Yucca Mountain license bid.

NRC spokeswoman Sue Gagner said the NRC has received less than half the Energy Department's collection, and it will take five or six more weeks to index about 700,000 documents that are outstanding.

The groups, which included the Nevada Nuclear Waste Task Force, the Nevada Desert Experience and Las Vegas-based Citizen Alert, challenged the Energy Department's certification of its materials in a letter to Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham.

"We request you withdraw your certification until DOE's submission of documentary material is actually completed, and the submitted materials are thoroughly indexed and posted, and entirely readable and accessible on the Licensing Support Network Website," their letter stated.

DOE officials had no immediate comment on Friday.

The DOE certification was issued on the last day of June, keeping chances alive for the department to submit a repository license application by the end of the year, as it has promised Congress. Federal rules say a license bid cannot be filed until six months after DOE certifies it has made its documents available.

Attorneys for Nevada are preparing to challenge the certification. They will argue the DOE's licensing bid should be put on hold until six months after all questions about the database are resolved.

Federal rules call on the NRC to appoint a pre-license hearing officer within 15 days after certification to judge issues associated with the license network.

The licensing support network is drawing attention because it is expected to serve as the official depository for all the parties that will be involved in NRC legal proceedings to license a Yucca Mountain nuclear site.

Energy Department officials have said they have met legal requirements. Although the Licensing Support Network website is not ready, DOE said its collection of 1.2 million Yucca Mountain documents has been made available on a department Web site ( www.ocrwm.doe.gov )

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