Jan 10th is the last day for written public comment in opposition to the U.S. Dept of Energy's nuclear waste storage site at Yucca Mt.

This website has talking points as why storing the entire nations nuclear waste underground at Yucca Mt. is a dangerous idea;

http://www.h-o-m-e.org/Yucca/index.htm

Even CA residents have reason to oppose the storage of radioactive nuclear waste in Yucca Mt., less than 25 miles from the CA border and directly above the headwaters of the Amargosa River, the only river that flows underground and curves north into Death Valley..

It is an injustice to burden the communties of Nevada with the entire nation's nuclear waste. The Western Shoshone, Paiute and the communities of Tonopah, Goldfield, Beatty and others are directly located downwind of the planned rail transport routes to Yucca Mt.

Should the people of southcentral Nevada suffer from higher risks of cancer because the GW Bush regime refuses to adopt any other safer alternatives to disposal of nuclear waste??

written comments sent to;

EIS Office U.S. Dept of Energy

Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management

1551 Hillshire Drive

Las Vegas, NV 89134

BTW - Yucca Mt. is located in an active seismic region of the basin and range geographic province of Nevada. The underground nuclear waste storage site and the underground Amargosa River and aquifer are not "closed off" as claimed by the U.S. Dept. of Energy (DOE) scientists.

These are just some of the basic errors found in the Dept of Energy Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on Yucca Mt. There appears to be an effort by the DOE to use language in their EIS to either be excessively vague on hydrological conditions "river is dry most of the time along most of the length" when describing the Amargosa River that has underground water storage capability..

The GW Bush regime is desperate to push all the nation's nuclear waste underneath the unstable geology of Yucca Mountain without regards to the watershed of the Amargosa, the violations of treaties with indigenous peoples (Ruby Valley Treaty; as Yucca Mt is located on Shoshone land, the U.S. DOE is in violation of this treaty by their location at Yucca Mt.), and the health effects of Nevada residents near and/or downwind of either the rail transport route and the storage site..

We need people around the nation to speak out against the Yucca Mt. project in writing and any other way possible..

After a brief visit to Tonopah, NV and looking at the Dept of Energy EIS on Yucca Mt., several additional reasons to oppose the nuclear waste dump became evident, here is summary;

Transport to Yucca Mt. risky & uncertain, Mina route canceled by Walker River Paiute

Wednesday Jan 2nd, 2008 5:51 PM

Another method of halting the Yucca Mt. nuclear waste repository is in blocking any transport route to the site. There have previously existed two routes of choice, the 209 mile Mina route and the 319 mile Caliente route. Thankfully, the Mina route appears to no longer be an option thanks to the resolute community activism of the Walker River Paiute..

The recent decision by the Walker River Paiute to withdraw their permission to transport nuclear waste through their land effectively cancels out the Mina route, leaving the Caliente Corridor as the only option for accessing the site at Yucca Mt. This is of course good news for activists concerned about stopping the Yucca Mt. waste project, the fewer options for trasnporting the hazardous material, the better..

found @;

http://www.yuccamountain.org/docs/news_let_fall_2007.pdf

"

"After considering the information we had gathered to date and discussions with our membership, the tribal council made this decision not to contionue with the Dept. of energy process." tribal Chairwoman Genia Williams said in a statement.

"The tribe will not allow nuclear waste to be transported on rail through our reservation."

"

http://www.wrpt.us/

So that leaves the Caliente Corridor. This route originates from the northeast (Utah) of the YM site near Caliente City, NV (Lincoln County) and veers westwards, then curves south of Tonopah (Nye County) and directly past the community of Goldfield towards Beatty (Nye County), along the route 95 corridor. This puts the route of hazardous nuclear waste directly past residences of above mentioned towns, including historical and archeological sites of interest, and six floodplain regions..

There are plenty of ecological reasons to prevent transport of hazardous nuclear waste on this corridor also. Two wilderness regions are nearby the Caliente route; Weepah Springs and Worthington Mountains. Included here are South Reveille Wilderness Study Area and Kawich Wilderness Study Area. Endangered species on oute of the Caliente corridor include; Southwestern Willow Flycatcher, Meadow Valley Wash Desert sucker (Catostomus clarki), Meadow Valley Wash speckled dace (Rhinichthys osculus) and many others..

The Caliente route also crosses the headwaters of the Amargosa River watershed upon entering Yucca Mt., the mysterious disappearing underground river that provides the only water to the terminal point in Death Valley. Adding any radioactive waste to this watershed will spell peril for many ecosystems along the watershed..

http://www.h-o-m-e.org/Legacy/Phase1/Watershed.htm

How the Dept of Energy could even think of placing nuclear waste canisters in chambers near an underground river's watershed is beyond me anyway, though it appears some of these folks aren't playing with a full deck anyways. Nothing against the emotionally/mentally disturbed, though i would feel better if people with mental disorders were not making decisions about nuclear waste transport, especially when the public and residents nearby are oppossed to this choice..

Oh, and did we once again forget that Yucca Mt. is in a seismically actice area?? Amazing how selective amnesia plays a role in Dept. of Energy scientists and the politicians of the GW Bush regime who have so strongly advocated the Yucca Mt. option. Again, people with mental disorders should not be making decisions about nuclear waste storage sites..





U.S. Dept of Energy twists hydrology, underestimates Amargosa Rio potential

Thursday Jan 3rd, 2008 5:51 PM

some errors in U.S. DOE EIS;

S.5.1.4 Hydrology;

"Activities associated with Proposed Action could cause minor impacts to surface hydrology at the Yucca Mt. site."

If that isn't the understatement of the year award!!

the EIS cont's;

"The potential for contaminants to reach surface water generally would be limited to spills and leaks followed by a rare precipitation or snow melt event large enough to generate runoff."

In a desert region with dry wash creekbeds (Beatty Wash, Amargosa River) this sort of statement is misleading. Flash floods and snowmelt flooding could introduce contaminants into the runoff. In addition, the EIS also underestimates the underground flow potential of the Amargosa River. Then there's the global warming spawned storms that could increase snowfall in the region..

EIS states;

"Although refered to as a river, the Amargosa and its tributaries (the washes that drain into it) are dry along most of their length most of the time."

Again another vague and misleading statement, does most of the length for most of the time state anything accurate or definable? The other mistruth is that although the Amargosa and tributaries are dry on the surface, there is often a below ground flow as the Amargosa has underground storage capability. Notice how the EIS from the U.S. DOE uses vague terminology to underestimate the hydrology of the Amargosa River watershed to the benefit of the Yucca Mt. project. The functional psychotic scientists at the U.S. DOE who twisted the hydrology of the Amargosa River around to suit their need of the "Proposed Action (Yucca Mt.) should have their credentials revoked..

That is just one example of the errors found in the Environmental Impact Statement prepared by the U.S. Dept of Energy for the Yucca Mt. nuclear waste storage site..

The residents of Tonopah, NV were also excluded from any oral public comment period in the upcoming review process. This is inconsiderate as Tonopah is the second most populated region of Nye County and also is the county seat. Tonopah is located due north of both the proposed rail transport routes (Mina and Caliente)..

Today a southerly wind was blowing quite strong, and in the event of a hypothetical accident along the Yucca Mt. rail transport line, the entire town of Tonopah would need to be evacuated. Does this not require a mandatory condition for Tonopah residents to also have access to oral public comment??



Yucca Mt. groundwater infiltration, climate change, seismic potential of YM covered up by DOE

Saturday Jan 5th, 2008 4:54 PM

Some more errors, misleading and vague science from DOE's EIS (DOE/EIS - 0250F Feb 2002) on Yucca MT.;

Section S. 5.1.3. Geology

North trending faults near Yucca Mt (YM);

Soltario Canyon (west) Bow Ridge (E) are two block-bounding faults surrounding YM.

Ghost Dance intrablock fault nearby

Sundance fault (NW trending subsidiary fault) "transects area of proposed repository" (as in direct contact with YM nuclear waste site at some point along the fault line).

EIS claims;

"individual faults have very long recurrence intervals between type of earthquakes powerful enough to cause surface displacement. Strain can accumulate on these faults over LONG periods between surface rupturing earthquakes, little or no seismic activity MIGHT occur during this long strain build-up."

What goes unsaid here is the incredibly LONG half-life (several million years) of the radioactive material proposed to be buried at Yucca MT.!!

Then does it not follow that if there is any human life on Earth in the next million years and an earthquake MIGHT occur between now and then that we will be cursing our descendents with a radioactive ecological crisis throughout the desert region??

Just when was the most recent earthquake?

EIS states;

"in 1992, a 5.6 magnitude earthquake occurred at Little Skull Mt., 12 miles southeast of YM."

In fact, these smaller quakes shift the land more gradually, though this could effect the underground storage and permeability of surface layers without detection following hypothetical nuclear waste burial at YM..



S. 5. 1. 4. Hydrology

"YM is in Alkali Flat -Furnace Creek groundwater basin within the greater Death Valley regional groundwater system (DVRGS). Generally deep aquifer includes recharge zones (water infiltrates downwards into aquifer), discharge zones (water from aquifer reaches surface ie., springs) and un/saturated aquifer (below/above water table)"

Given this knowledge, there are clearly several zones of interaction between surface and ground water flows and storage throughout the DVRGS. To claim as the EIS does elsewhere that YM is a 100% closed site with regards to groundwater flow is then contradictory to the information provided above..

In addition, some of the discharge zones or springs could be vital to the supply of fresh water to the seasonal pools inhabited by the desert pupfish further south/east of site..

EIS states;

"Groundwater in aquifers below YM & surrounding region flow south toward discharge areas in Amargsa Desert & Death Valley. Area around YM is in central subregion of DVRGS flows, with three groundwater basins 1) Paiute Mesa-Owens Valley 2) Ash Meadows 3) Alkali Flat-Furnace Creek."

The Amargosa River does flow south, then curves west and north in U-shape before releasing contents into Death Valley. Here the river crosses from Nevada into California, proceeding to the lowest elevation below sea level found in Death Valley. BTW, this region is also the most active basin and range faulting, where the valley (0 ft.) and surrounding mountains (Amargosa & Panamint, approx. ave. 5,000 ft). continue to vertically separate from one another. Yucca Mt. is only one and a half (Beatty foothills)ranges to the east of this active geological site..

That also shows that groundwater infiltration from YM would effect California residents, ecosystems and visitors in and around Death Valley, though nowhere in CA were oral public comment sites provided by DOE!!

EIS claims;

"Potential for contaminants to reach surface water generally limited to spills or leaks followed by rare precipitation event or snow melt event large enough to generate runoff."

Given the unvariable nature of climate change storms and projected increased precipitation by climatologists, in addition to the projected transition to a warmer monsoon climate complete with returning inland lakes (see; Lake Lahontan, great basin inland ocean), this statement by DOE is neglecting the once again over million year half-life of a majority of the prposed nuclear waste products to be stored there..

Given the probability is great that the climate may soon shift to warmer and wetter in a few decades, any proposed burial of nuclear waste at YM will be placing our descendants of the next two generations (ie., grandbabies) at risk of a serious radioactive ecological crisis. Looking at the most recent storms, maybe not even so long as that..

The person writing these comments on imc is convinced enough that this YM nuclear waste storage site is such a horribly dangerous idea that author is able and willing enough to physically intervene in the event this DOE proposal goes through. This action will cost my freedom and possibly my life, though to prevent this greater crime of nuclear holocaust throughout Nevada/California desert region from occurring is worthwhile..

My preference is that enough people express thier outrage at this unfair burden of nuclear waste storage at Yucca Mt. that it never passes completion, so that i will not feel compelled to place my life at risk in process of physical intervention. My understanding is that the initial YM tunnels were built prematurely and prior to proper science studies, and following new and unpleasant information about the hydrogeological instability of YM site, this info of YM site instability was given attempted burial by DOE officials (?under coercion?) by the GW Bush regime..

We all make mistakes, and the monetary loss of the partially completed YM tunnel recognized as the mistake it is, is far less than the tremendous loss of life following a nuclear waste radioactive disaster at YM, leak, spill, earthquake, groundwater infiltration, etc..