Yucca Mountain News Clips
Wednesday, May 21, 2003
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Las Vegas Review Journal
May 21, 2003
Berkley pushes NRC for expansion of Yucca audits
By Steve Tetreault
Stephens Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON -- The Nuclear Regulatory Commission was urged on Tuesday to expand its audits and inspections of the Yucca Mountain Project.
Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., recommended the NRC supplement its two-person staff in Las Vegas by reassigning Yucca on-site work from headquarters to its Western regional office in Arlington, Texas.
Berkley said she was motivated by reports of continuing software and computer modeling quality control problems within the Energy Department program. DOE is developing plans for a nuclear waste repository 100 miles northwest of Las Vegas.
"I favor and support efforts to establish a stronger NRC oversight presence at the Yucca Mountain Project," Berkley said in a letter prepared to be sent to NRC Chairman Nils Diaz.
Working out of an office in Summerlin that also houses the DOE Office of Repository Development, the two NRC inspectors monitor the department's gathering of data for a repository license application.
Berkley suggested shifting chief Yucca oversight to the NRC's Division IV regional office, which she said has sufficient money and personnel, and hands-on inspection experience. She said she understood the NRC has considered the idea on several occasions.
On May 9, Berkley met with John Greeves, director of NRC's waste management division. Berkley brought up the idea then but it was not discussed in detail and Greeves offered no opinion, Berkley aides said.
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NRC
May 20, 2003
No. 03-063
NRC to Hold Meeting June 4 in California on Potential Nuclear Waste Disposal Facility at Yucca Mountain
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission will hold a meeting Wednesday, June 4, in Tecopa, California, to discuss its oversight role for the Department of Energy´s potential high-level nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. Tecopa is in Inyo County, which is adjacent to Nye County, Nevada, where the possible future repository would be located.
The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. and continue until about 8:30 p.m. in the Tecopa Community Center, Hot Spring Road, Tecopa. It will feature an overview of NRC´s responsibilities and preparations for evaluating the safety of a potential high-level waste disposal facility, including the protection of groundwater, and conclude with an overview of the NRC´s role with respect to the transportation and security of spent fuel from nuclear reactors.
There will also be opportunities for members of the public to ask questions and talk informally with NRC staff at the meeting.
Additional information is available by contacting Dr. Janet Kotra, NRC Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, on 301-415-6674.
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State of Nevada
Agency for Nuclear Projects
www.state.nv.us/nucwaste/
nwpo@nuc.state.nv.us
775-687-3744
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