Nevada sued the U.S. Department of Energy on Wednesday for release of what state officials describe as a "key document pertaining to the safety of the proposed Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository."
Attorney General George Chanos filed the lawsuit in federal court seeking release of the draft license application for the repository prepared in 2004.
"We want to see this document because we believe it will show that the repository is unsafe after 10,000 years, if not before," said Bob Loux, director of the Nevada Agency for Nuclear Projects.
Chanos said the government is required to share Yucca information with Nevada.
"DOE has refused to provide Nevada with this most important document for the past three years," he said.
Chanos said that is despite two requests by Gov. Kenny Guinn to the energy secretary, a follow-up request to President Bush, subpoena demands by Rep. Jon Porter, R-Nev., litigation before the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, a Freedom of Information Act request and several administrative appeals.
DOE has claimed throughout that the document is protected by legal privileges.
"There isn't a privilege in the world that should shield this from Nevada's citizens," Loux said.
"What are they trying to hide?" Chanos asked. "If the repository is safe, you'd think they'd be anxious to prove it."
• Contact reporter Geoff Dornan at gdornan@nevadaappeal.com or 687-8750.