WASHINGTON -- Federal agencies plan to spend more than $25 million to retrace key Yucca Mountain research that became tainted after the discovery of scientist e-mails suggesting documents may have been falsified, according to a report made public Tuesday.

The report by the Government Accountability Office puts a price tag on an e-mail scandal that rocked the Department of Energy almost two years ago and that contributed to delays in the nuclear waste repository effort.

Costs of $25.6 million, compiled by the GAO from figures supplied by the Energy Department and other federal agencies, include replacing an important computer model of how water might infiltrate the mountain and erode canisters of highly radioactive spent nuclear fuel. That work is ongoing.

DOE personnel also randomly sampled and reviewed 14 million worker e-mails for evidence of deeper problems in the Yucca program.

Nevada leaders who oppose nuclear waste being shipped to the Yucca site 100 miles northwest of Las Vegas, said the 30-page GAO report will serve to remind members of Congress about turmoil surrounding the proposed repository as they contemplate future spending for the project.

"This is an admission of total embarrassment for the program and an unacceptable waste of taxpayer dollars," said Rep. Jon Porter, R-Nev., who released the GAO study that was undertaken at his request.

Energy Department officials were reviewing the report and planned to comment today, spokesman Allen Benson said. DOE officials previously have cited the $25 million cost of the correction in remarks to Congress, and have said their response to the controversy showed their drive to get things right.

The report was made public in an apparent coincidence on the same day that House Democrats unveiled a $463.5 billion budget bill for the remainder of fiscal 2007 that cuts $50 million from the Yucca project.

The new budget would allocate roughly $405 million to the Department of Energy for nuclear waste disposal, its smallest line item in five years. The fiscal year runs until Sept. 30.

Democrats did not disclose why the Yucca project was slashed. Most programs were frozen at 2006 levels, but leaders on the House Appropriations Committee said they forced cuts and reclaimed unspent balances in more than 60 programs to generate $10 billion that was used to boost priorities like health research and education.

"There are a few bright spots, and that is one of them," in the budget, said Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev.

Energy Department officials would not comment on how the reduced budget might impact the Yucca program as they strive to meet a June 30, 2008 deadline to complete a repository license application.

"We are confident that Congress will provide adequate funding to enable the department to complete a high-quality license application to be submitted to the NRC," spokesman Allen Benson said.

The Yucca e-mail controversy ignited on March 16, 2005, when Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman announced discovery of a series of e-mail messages from 1998-2000 in which several government hydrologists swapped e-mails expressing frustration with quality assurance rules and hinting that corners might have been cut in complying with the strict procedures.

Joseph Hevesi, one of the hydrologists who worked for the U.S. Geological Survey, testified before Congress in June 2005 that he did not alter reports or falsify data.

DOE undertook extensive reviews of all the work he and several others had performed. Further, inspectors within the Energy and Interior departments initiated investigations of possible criminal activity that ended when the U.S. attorney in Nevada declined to prosecute.