ANS members invited to Washington to discuss Yucca Mountain

An issue that ANS will be monitoring closely in the coming weeks is the debate on Yucca Mountain as a suitable site as the nation's high-level waste repository. On Jan.10, Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham notified Nevada Gov. Kenny Guinn (R) his intention to recommend the site to President Bush. ANS' response to this action can be found at this link: http://www.ans.org/pi/media/releases/index.php?r=1010700763

The timeline for the actions on Yucca Mountain is extremely important for ANS members to follow. This bulletin will outline what ANS believes is the route this issue will take.

Once the recommendation is formally made to President Bush, which is expected to be in mid-February (30 days from the date the Secretary announced his intentions), President Bush has 30 days to consider it before sending it on to Nevada's governor and state legislature. This will likely occur in mid-March.

The Nevadans then have 60 days to approve or disapprove the recommendation. If Nevada does not take action within 60 days of the receipt of the recommendation, then the designation will become effective. If, however, Nevada submits a notice of disapproval, the designation then moves to the Congress, and would require approval from both the Senate and the House of Representatives.

It is expected that Nevada will veto Yucca Mountain at some point during those 60 days, and the issue will then go to Congress to resolve, probably sometime around mid-May. Congress then has 90 legislative days to approve or disapprove the designation on a straight up-or-down vote.

When the issue gets to Congress, ANS will be working closely with its members, including Local Sections, to educate the House and Senate on the scientific suitability of the site. We will be asking all ANS members to contact their respective representatives and provide information on the suitability of Yucca Mountain as a national repository.

If ever there was a time for us to make our voices heard on an issue, this is the time and this is the issue. And we have that opportunity in early March to voice our positions on Yucca Mountain.

In conjunction with the ANS Board of Directors meeting in Washington, D.C., the ANS Board of Directors is inviting all ANS members to Washington to join them on March 5 in visiting key congressional offices to discuss priority issues -- specifically Yucca Mountain suitability -- that impact the nuclear industry.

We are expecting a number of ANS members to come. But, we've got room for a whole lot more. Please join the ANS Board of Directors in Washington, and strengthen ANS' voice on Yucca Mountain. Contact Doug Wasitis ASAP in Washington at dwasitis@bakerd.com, or call him at 202-312-7482, to make arrangements for this important meeting.

Links found at the end of this broadcast provide some background on what ANS already has done regarding Yucca Mountain. Much work remains. The ANS Board of Directors looks forward to working with you in promoting ANS' position on this important issue. It hopes to see you in Washington in March.