Tuesday, May 06, 2003
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Hearing to explore Yucca project woes

Senators responding to recent reports

WASHINGTON -- Nevada's senators on Monday announced a May 28 Senate hearing in Las Vegas will explore recent reports of problems within the Yucca Mountain Project.

Aides said the senators had not yet determined who will be invited to testify. Possibilities include officials from the Energy Department and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, current and former project auditors and outside experts.

Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., said the hearing is being put together following reports over the past few weeks of new and lingering quality assurance problems within the nuclear waste disposal program.

"This hearing will give us the opportunity to find out, for the record, whether or not the scientific studies at the site are credible," Reid said in a statement. "More and more evidence clearly indicates that that is not the case."

A DOE spokesman declined comment Monday night.

In order to qualify for an NRC license, DOE must provide a detailed documenting of the scientific processes, software formation and computer modeling that supports Yucca Mountain, 100 miles northwest of Las Vegas, for nuclear waste burial.

Reports from auditors and other officials have indicated that such quality assurance has been a program struggle over the years.

In March, the Energy Department called on its program contractor Bechtel SAIC to correct the processing of certain procedures after auditors found flaws in how employees were carrying out the task.

One of the auditors said members of his team were reassigned after reporting the problems. Another auditor who was fired in 2001 successfully challenged his dismissal as being politically motivated.

Last week, Bechtel officials disclosed they would be rechecking documentation of computer models developed over the past four years. A review had suggested that problems with data management had been repeated despite corrective efforts.

Also last week, an NRC official responsible for monitoring the Yucca program issued a warning that DOE was failing to build a strong case for the repository because of persistent management failings.

"There is no room for error when it comes to Yucca Mountain," said Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev. "We must take a serious look at allegations of flawed science, and this hearing will provide the opportunity for us to question those who have seen problems first hand."

The hearing will be held by the Senate's energy and water subcommittee, where Reid is the ranking Democratic member. Subcommittee chairman Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., has signed off on the hearing, but it is doubtful anyone besides the Nevada senators will attend, Reid aides said.