NYE COUNTY NEVADA’S OVERSIGHT ROLE IN THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY’S YUCCA MOUNTAIN PROJECT

摘要

Nye County plays a unique role in the Yucca Mountain Repository Program.As the situs jurisdiction which will forever host the Yucca Mountain Repository if it is licensed and constructed,Nye County exercises oversight authority specifically granted by Congress under Section 116 of the Nuclear Waste Policy Act,as amended(NWPA).Under Section 117(d)of the NWPA Nye County is also authorized to have,and has designated an On-Site Representative to conduct on-site oversight activities at the Yucca Mountain site itself,as well as the Department of Energy(DOE)offices in Las Vegas,in much the same manner as the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s(NRC)On-Site Representatives.The contribution of this on-site representation program,coupled with the County’s other oversight activities and its Independent Scientific Investigations Program(ISIP),has been repeatedly recognized as very important by DOE,the NRC,the Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board(NWTRB),and others.This paper describes that oversight program,from both an historical and forward-looking perspective.