Comments sought today on Yucca in Reno

The U.S. Department of Energy is holding a public meeting today seeking comments on two Draft National Environmental Policy Act documents related to the Yucca

Mountain Project. The 90-day comment ends Jan. 10.

The first document, the Draft Repository SEIS, is a supplement to the Yucca Mountain Final EIS that DOE issued in 2002. The Draft Repository SEIS evaluates the potential environmental impacts of constructing and operating the Yucca Mountain repository under the repository design and operational plans that have been developed since the Yucca Mountain Final EIS was issued.

The second document relates to the transportation of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste in Nevada and contains two parts. The first part, the Draft Nevada Rail Corridor SEIS, considers the potential environmental impacts of transport along the Mina corridor, which was analyzed in response to public comments. It also updates the information and analysis for other Nevada rail corridors evaluated in the Yucca Mountain Final EIS. The second part, the Draft Rail Alignment EIS, evaluates the potential environmental impacts of constructing and operating a railroad along specific alignments for both the Mina and Caliente corridors, although Caliente is the Department's preferred corridor.

According, to the Department of Energy, these documents represent two major milestones on the path to DOE's submittal of an application for construction authorization to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission by June 30, 2008. Yucca Mountain was approved by the Congress and the President as the site for the nation's first permanent spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste geologic repository in 2002.

To view the documents go online to: www.ocrwm.doe.gov/ and look under the "What's new" section.

The meeting is from 4-7 p.m. today at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center, 4590 S. Virginia St.