Sep. 05, 2007
Nevada wins battle in war over Yucca
Federal judge denies DOE motion
By KEITH ROGERS
REVIEW-JOURNAL
Nevada has won a significant battle in its 20-year war with the federal government over the Department of Energy's plans to build a nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain.
The victory came in a decision late Friday by U.S. District Judge Roger Hunt to deny Justice Department attorneys an emergency motion. The motion was aimed at blocking the state engineer's order that DOE stop using Nevada's water for drilling boreholes near the mountain, 100 miles northwest of Las Vegas.
Hunt's 24-page ruling criticized the attorneys representing DOE as being arrogant and unreasonable and, above all, for violating a court-approved agreement on use of the state's water at Yucca Mountain.
State officials were beaming Monday when they learned of Hunt's decision and said it will preclude DOE from collecting data that Yucca Mountain Project officials have said is crucial to submitting a complete license application to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for constructing a repository.
"We're obviously pleased with his decision, and he's very knowledgeable of what's going on with the state law and the federal law," said Bob Loux, executive director of the Nevada Agency for Nuclear Projects and a long-time opponent of what Nevada politicians refer to as "the dump.
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