Participation in state, local, and national
policy-making and regulatory activities, public
education, and studying the potential economic
impacts of constructing a repository inside County
boundaries, all play an important role in NWRPO's
nuclear waste oversight program.
"Government Relations" covers Nye County's
relationships with local governments, the State of
Nevada, Congress, the Department of Energy, and
other Federal facilities.
"Community Relations"
activities include project communications and public
involvement. In addition to its repository oversight
program, Nye County carries out an active public
information program. The program helps County
residents better understand the Yucca Mountain
Project and effectively participate in the waste
management program. Key activities include:
maintaining the Yucca Mountain Information Center in
Pahrump, providing
news releases on current program activities to the
local media, and giving presentations to citizen and
governmental groups and organizations.
NWRPO's Government and Community Relations program
element provides support to Nye County in the
following areas:
-
Operating the
Yucca Mountain Information Center (YMIC) in
Pahrump.
-
Participating in
the on-going License Application process;
-
Conducting formal interactions between Nye County and DOE;
-
Reviewing and commenting
on program-related documents
and policy positions;
-
Developing Nye County impact mitigation
strategies;
-
Establishing
Public Outreach,
Education, and public participation opportunities for
Nye County residents;
-
Monitoring and analyzing DOE and Congressional
policy initiatives;
-
Attending
program-related oversight activities of the
Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board (NWTRB),
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and
others; and
-
Reviewing international waste management programs.
Reviews of
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) Documents
FINAL
REPOSITORY SEIS
As the Situs county of the repository,
Nye County was
granted cooperating agency status
on the Supplemental Environmental Impact
Statement for a Geologic Repository for the Disposal
of Spent Nuclear Fuel and High-Level Radioactive
Waste at Yucca Mountain, Nye County, Nevada
(DOE/EIS-0250F-S1).
Participation
included the addition of Nye County's perspectives
on
cumulative impacts (Section
8.6.2) and
mitigation (Section 9.2.3).
FINAL
NEVADA RAIL CORRIDOR SEIS and FINAL RAIL ALIGNMENT
EIS
In June 2008 the Department of Energy
released the "Final Supplemental Environmental
Impact Statement for a Geologic Repository for the
Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel and High-Level
Radioactive Waste at Yucca Mountain, Nye County,
Nevada – Nevada Rail Transportation Corridor"
(DOE/EIS-0250F-S2)
and the
"Final Environmental Impact
Statement for a Rail Alignment for the Construction
and Operation of a Railroad in Nevada to a Geologic
Repository at Yucca Mountain, Nye County, Nevada" (DOE/EIS-0369).
Nye County participated as a cooperating agency in
the preparation of the Final Nevada Rail Corridor
SEIS and Final Rail Alignment EIS. Nye County
viewpoints were included in the Final Rail Alignment
EIS
Section 5.5, Nye County Viewpoint, pp.
5-101 to 5-104
Section 7.4.4, Nye County Viewpoint,
pp. 7-12 and 7-13
Nye
County Impact Mitigation Strategy Development
Activities
In September 2007 NWRPO
published a study "Nye
County Perspective: Potential Impacts Associated
with the Long-Term Presence of a Nuclear Waste
Repository at Yucca Mountain, Nye County, Nevada -
Site County Viewpoint on Cumulative Impacts and
Recommended Mitigation Actions" This
study estimates the economic benefits that could
accrue to affected Nevada counties from the use of
the Nevada Rail line by local industries for freight
transportation. The study presents the results
of the Mina Corridor study and compares the economic
benefits of the Mina route with those estimated for
the Caliente Corridor.
In June 2007 NWRPO published a
report "Yucca
Mountain Project Gateway Area Concept Plan".
This report presents a land use concept that Nye
County has prepared as guidance to mitigate the
expected impacts of the YMP in the communities
adjacent to and in the vicinity of the Project’s
entrance area. To offset the anticipated impacts
associated with the increase in YMP-related
activities, Nye County is proposing this plan to
ensure that land development in the vicinity of YMP
entrance area occurs in an orderly and consistent
manner, while increasing the opportunities for
industrial and commercial development.
