WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Department of Energy (DOE) has started the process of handing over a number of key documents related to the investigation into whether or not science behind the Yucca Mountain Project was falsified.  However, questions remain as to why certain requested documents which DOE should have readily available were not produced.  On Wednesday, July 20, the House Government Reform Committee served a subpoena for the documents at the behest of Third District Congressman Jon Porter.  Porter chairs the Federal Workforce and Agency Organization Subcommittee, which is leading the investigation.  DOE had until 4 PM ET today to begin complying with the document requests, or risked being held in contempt of Congress.

“Since e-mails suggesting Yucca Mountain safety data had been falsified came to light in March, I’ve used every tool at my disposal as Chairman of the Federal Workforce and Agency Oversight Subcommittee to launch a full and thorough investigation,” said Porter.  “That includes issuing subpoenas to individuals and agencies who have refused to cooperate with my requests.  Upon hearing documents had been delivered to the Subcommittee this afternoon, it appeared as though DOE had finally seemed to grasp the importance of this investigation and the effect it could have on millions of Americans.  However, after personally reviewing what was delivered, the absence of certain key documents leads me to believe DOE is continuing to play games.”

The key document that was requested but not produced is the draft license application, which is expected to be handed over by DOE to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in the coming months.  If approved by the NRC, the license application would allow the Yucca Mountain Project to begin the process of accepting nuclear waste.  DOE has not even attempted to explain why they failed to hand over this document, which remains a major element of the investigation.

The following is a list of documents DOE was asked to produce, as outlined in the subpoena:

1)       All records that reflect the falsification and/or fabrication of records by any Federal employee, contractor, or any other person in connection with relation to the proposed Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository not previously produced by the Department of Energy to the Subcommittee on March 29, 2005

2)       All records referring or relating to the hiring, reassignment, or transfer of Joseph Hevesi, Alan Flint, or Lorraine Flint, to the Yucca Mountain Project (“YMP”), including the re-employment or reassignment of any such employees to YMP on or after December 1, 2004

3)       All lists or glossaries of frequently used terms, including scientific terms, associated with the Yucca Mountain Project

4)       All lists of water infiltration models relating to the Yucca Mountain Project from 1997 to the present

5)       All lists of employees who worked on water infiltration models relating to the Yucca Mountain project from 1997 to the present, including but not limited to the employees and the models they worked on

6)       All Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (“OCRWM”) organizational charts that show the names of employees and/or the management structure of the Yucca Mountain Project form 1998 to the present

7)       Any portions of the current version of the draft license application to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (“NRC”) for construction and operation of the Yucca Mountain Repository referring or relating to the work or modeling performed by Joseph Hevesi, Alan Flint, or Lorraine Flint

8)       A copy of the current version of the draft license application to the NRC for construction and operation of the Yucca Mountain Repository

9)       All records referring or relating to any communications between Bectel SAIC and Department of Energy officials regarding the records listed in Item 1 of this Schedule, without regard to whether such records were produced by the Department of Energy to the Subcommittee on March 29, 2005

10)      All records referring or relating to the Department of Energy’s review of scientific work conducted by Alan Flint, Lorraine Flint and Joseph Hevesi since December 1, 2004

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