It pays to be Anti-Nuke

["HP Dean" <RadConDean@comcast.net>]

Probably nothing new to a lot of you, but here is some info on DOE's Yucca Mountain waste project that some may not be aware of and the cost of doing business in the nuclear arena.



As I was researching an article about Nevada seeking to redirect shipments of radwaste from the DOE Fernald site to the Nevada Test Site (NTS), I came upon on an article in the Las Vegas Sun about the head of Nevada's anti-repository group (which is a state agency).  This State of Nevada's Nuclear Waste Project Office (under the Agency for Nuclear Projects) gets a bunch of money from the FEDERAL government to oppose the repository.  Another article link also notes the millions funneled to the University of Nevada to do oppositional research.   What got me looking into the background of the Head of Nevada's Nuclear Waste Projects Office (Bob Loux) was his statement in a news article in the 2/25/04 Reno Gazette-Journal (below) about waste from Fernald not being high level and not being low level, which is curious since it is low level uranium tailings.  



Evidently, this NEVADA AGENCY FOR NUCLEAR PROJECTS and its NUCLEAR WASTE PROJECT OFFICE

gets over 5 million dollars per year from the Federal Government to oppose DOE's effort to build the High Level Waste Repository at the NTS.  Evidently any State funds spent are replaced by funds from Congress.  Each township that puts money into the effort expects to get it all back from the congressional pork barrel.



(2004 Fernald Waste Shipment Article)

http://www.rgj.com/news/stories/html/2004/02/25/64820.php?sp1=rgj&sp2=News&sp3=Local+News&sp5=RGJ.com&sp6=news&sp7=local_news

(1998 Article on the Nevada Nuclear Projects Office)

http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/lv-gov/1998/dec/03/508092893.html



(2004 Article on Federal Funds use for opposing the repository)

]http://www.state.nv.us/nucwaste/news2004/nn12026.htm



(Web page for the Nevada Nuclear Waste Project Office)

http://www.state.nv.us/nucwaste/



I also notice that Senator Reid's aide was nominated to the NRC.



http://www.state.nv.us/nucwaste/yucca/ymupdate/ymup031021.htm



Jaczko, aide to Nevada Sen. Reid, named to 

Nuclear Regulatory Commission



Overcoming opposition from the Bush administration, U.S. Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) recently succeeded in having his aide, physicist Gregory Jaczko, nominated to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).







In exchange for clearing the way for a number of administration nominees to take office, Jaczko, 32, will assume a five-year term on the NRC that likely will likely carry through the agency's deliberations over a proposed high-level nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain, 100 miles northwest of Las Vegas. 







The NRC is expected to weigh in on a Department of Energy (DOE) application for licensure of the proposed facility in December 2004.







"Greg's appointment will finally give Nevada a voice within the NRC," said Bob Loux, executive director of the State of Nevada Agency for Nuclear Projects.  "Our concerns about this misguided project will finally have a real outlet in Washington."







Does anyone know if Jaczko has been confirmed for the NRC position?







Does anyone know the background or sciences Mr. Loux is associated with?











Dean Chaney, CHP