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Yucca Mountain Oversight Board Chairman Resigns
The head of an independent board of experts that provides oversight for the U.S. Energy Department’s plan to construct a nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain in Nevada resigned last week due to a dispute over alleged conflicts of interest, according to Energy Daily (see GSN, Dec. 9, 2003). “Ever since I took this position in June 2002, the board and staff members have been required to respond to inquiries about perceived conflicts of interest and these distractions have created a huge burden on the board members and staff and diverted us from our proper oversight role,” Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board Chairman Michael Corradini said in a resignation letter to U.S. President George W. Bush. In April, the board’s nine other members called on Corradini to step down as chairman, in part, because of his oft-expressed view that the planned Yucca Mountain repository could safely store nuclear waste, according to Energy Daily. Several board members have criticized Corradini’s support for the project because the board is only to advise the Energy Department on the scientific soundness of the Yucca Mountain repository design and operation plans, and therefore no board members should offer prejudgment of the department’s plans before they are completed. “We’re just supposed to say, ‘DOE you presented this data and is it valid data?’” said board member David Duquette, professor of material science and engineering at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Duquette is set to serve as acting board chairman until a replacement is appointed by Bush (Jeff Beattie, Energy Daily, Jan. 6).
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