Beowawe, Nevada

First timer? In this once-a-day blog, I have my computer select a random latitude and longitude that puts me somewhere in the continental United States (the lower 48). I call this “landing.” I keep track of the watersheds I land in, as well as the town I land near. I do some internet research to hopefully find something of interest about my landing location. To find out more about A Landing A Day (like who “Dan” is and what the various numbers and abbreviations mean), please see “About Landing,” above.

Dan – Well, the slide continues. Four, count ‘em, four WBers in a row. AZ, then WY, then SD, and now . . . NV; 62/60; 2/10; 7; 168.0. This is my highest Score since December 1st! For the 17th time, I landed in the Humboldt River watershed. The Humboldt, as I’m sure you know, is the largest single internally-drained watershed in the U.S. It meanders across northern NV, and ends up in a dead-end lake: Humboldt Lake. From Wiki:

The Humboldt River runs through northern Nevada. At approximately 300 miles (480 km) long, it is the longest river in the arid Great Basin of North America. It has no outlet to the ocean, but instead empties into the Humboldt Sink. It is the largest river in the United States, in terms of discharge, that does not ultimately reach the ocean. Through its tributaries the river drains most of sparsely populated northern Nevada, traversing the state roughly east to west, and passing through repeated gaps in the north-south running mountain ranges.

Nevada to file 250 contentions opposing Yucca Mt. licensing

The state of Nevada plans to file 250 contentions opposing the
licensing of a nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain, an attorney for the
state said December 4.
Martin Malsch told a National Academy of Sciences board that the
contentions will include challenges to the completeness of the respository
design submitted to NRC in June. Some also will challenge DOE’s reliance on
titanium drip shields installed over the waste packages to meet regulatory
requirements on radiation releases at the site, he said. The shields, which
DOE plans to install after the waste packages are moved into repository
tunnels, are to protect the waste packages by preventing water from dripping
on them and blunting any impact from falling rocks. However, Malsch said a
repository at Yucca Mountain would not meet regulatory requirements if the
drip shields are not installed as planned or if they are installed improperly.

Nuclear politics and Nevada

The power a president holds over Yucca Mountain was demonstrated in February 2002, when President Bush recommended to Congress that the partially built nuclear waste storage project be completed.

Five months later Congress succumbed to his recommendation, despite Bush’s campaign promise to Nevadans that he would hold off on any Yucca decision until the project had been “deemed scientifically safe.”

No such determination has ever been made. There have been, however, many scientific reports concluding that the project — just 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas — would be very dangerous.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., has been instrumental in rendering the project inert. Yucca Mountain, however, still has a heartbeat. Whether that heartbeat is stilled or resuscitated depends on the next occupant of the White House.

A story this week by Las Vegas Sun reporter Phoebe Sweet reiterated the positions of presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain. Their views are well worth remembering by Nevadans as they head to the polls — and early voting begins today.

On the campaign trail, McCain has been clear: He supports Yucca Mountain. He cites the billions the federal government has invested in the site and maintains it can be made safe.

Taking his cue from Bush’s “sound science” line, McCain said during a March campaign stop in Las Vegas he would “accede to whatever scientific — credible scientific — opinion is.” Richard Bryan, former Nevada governor and former U.S. senator, told Sweet, “Sound science has become, in the nuanced language of nuclear politics, a wink and a nod to say, ‘I’m all for it.’ ”

Nevada sues over radiation standards

It was back to court for Nevada Friday when Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto filed a federal lawsuit asking judges to throw out new radiation limits for the Yucca Mountain project.

The radiation exposure standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency will fail to protect Nevadans “from cancer-causing radioactive contamination” if nuclear waste is buried at the site, Masto said.

Nevada’s official position has been to fight the politically unpopular Yucca project at every turn. It was widely expected that state officials would return to court to challenge the latest EPA regulation that was issued Sept. 30.

“The new EPA standard once again fails to protect the health and safety of Nevada citizens, and the environment,” said Masto. “EPA has obviously worked closely with DOE to adjust its radiation standard in an attempt to steamroll this project through licensing, but has failed to protect Nevadans from cancer-causing radioactive contamination.

“DOE’s own data shows that water infiltration will corrode nuclear waste packages and radioactivity will inevitably leak into Nevada’s groundwater, delivering lethal doses of radiation to the public and irreparably contaminating the groundwater.

Nevada sues over radiation limit

It was back to court for Nevada on Friday when Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto filed a federal lawsuit asking judges to throw out new radiation limits for the Yucca Mountain Project.

The radiation exposure standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency will fail to protect Nevadans “from cancer-causing radioactive contamination” if nuclear waste is buried at the site, Cortez Masto said.

Nevada’s official position has been to fight the politically unpopular Yucca project at every turn. It was widely expected that state officials would return to court to challenge the latest EPA regulation that was issued on Sept. 30.

Nuclear dump lobby takes aim at Nevada

The director of the Nevada office charged with fighting the proposed Yucca Mountain nuclear waste dump has gotten himself into hot water. Bob Loux is facing serious punishment — or even dismissal — after admitting to lawmakers he gave unauthorized raises to himself and his staff.

There is no question that what happened under his watch deserves a swift response and that he must be held accountable for his actions.

As a state personnel matter, his fate now properly rests with the Nevada Commission on Nuclear Projects, an independent agency that has long been the state’s watchdog over the Yucca Mountain project.

But treachery is already afoot. In the days since the Loux story became public, pro-dump lobbyists in Nevada and Washington have been working to use Loux’s troubles as a tool to undermine Nevada’s long-standing opposition to Yucca Mountain. Efforts are already under way to seize on these events in hope of destroying the commission, which remains one of our first lines of defense against the dump.

The longtime chairman of the commission is none other than former U.S. Sen. and Nevada Gov. Richard Bryan. No one has been more rock-ribbed in fighting the dump. He knows the issue inside and out and is energized by a powerful passion to stop Yucca Mountain to protect generations of Nevadans who would be at risk from this dangerous scheme.

Shameless call for material for the book”Shundahai Network: A Decade of Resistance:

shameless plug: About Gregor’S BOOK “The Shundahai Network: A Deacde of Resistance”

Hi, I’m Gregor Gable

I’m a Indigenous Rights, Social Justice and Anti-Nuclear Activist. I believe we need to break the Nuclear Cycle to save this Planet. I worked for 20+ years at the Nevada Test Site, doing non-violent direct actions. I was the very first person arrested at Yucca Mountain. I was arrested uncountable (hundreds) times at the Nevada Test Site (NTS). I am also writing a book “The Shundahai Network: A Decade of Resistance”. In addition, I am making a DVD/CD of Corbin’s Harney(Western Shoshone Spiritual Leader, who has passed over)last Public Sunrise Ceremonies & Songs(with his verbal permission as seen on DVD). If you wish to contribute materials, Audio, visual or memories of Shundahai Network (SN), contact me : gregornot AT gmail.com and I will send my snail mail address for mailing photos or audio or video materials.

Sierra: A meeting of the natural and the nuclear

“Mushrooms/Clouds,” its title clearly referring not only to natural phenomena but also to the effects of nuclear explosions, is particularly timely as the national debate continues over the proposed and partially built Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste Repository in southern Nevada, and as the Nevada Test Site continues to be the location of anti-weapons demonstrations. The mysticism of various locations in the West is also explored.

According to Ann Wolfe, the museum’s curator, this is an exhibition “that embraces metaphor and analogy as tools for layering multiple meanings. From mushroom spore prints to a sculpture in the form of a nuclear mushroom cloud and videos that explore the cloudlike properties of water and smoke, Drury makes visible the subtle connections between the realms of science, culture, politics and the history of place.

One of Britain’s more prolific and celebrated artists, Drury’s work is in London’s Victoria and Albert Museum and British Museum, and the Henry Art Gallery in Seattle. He recently completed an artist residency with the British Antarctic Survey.

Drury works with natural tools – plants, trees, fungi, water – and fashions objects – caves, cairns, baskets, bundles – making clear conceptual links between the materials as well as making observations on destruction and regeneration, life and death.

Nevada gets more time to file Yucca challenges

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission on Wednesday granted Nevada 30 additional days to file license challenges to the Yucca Mountain repository, short of the extra time the state requested for its preparations.

Attorneys for the state in April asked the nuclear safety commissioners to allow 180 days for participants in license hearings to file “contentions” that challenge aspects of the nuclear waste plan. NRC rules currently allow 30 days.
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In a seven-page order, the four-member commission said 180 days was too long to alter longstanding rules.

But they agreed to allow an additional 30 days as a “modest extension of time.” On top of the 30 days already allowed, this means the state and other participants in Yucca licensing would have 60 days to file contentions.

Nevada gets more time to file Yucca challenges

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission on Wednesday granted Nevada 30 additional days to file license challenges to the Yucca Mountain repository, short of the extra time the state requested for its preparations.

Attorneys for the state in April asked the nuclear safety commissioners to allow 180 days for participants in license hearings to file “contentions” that challenge aspects of the nuclear waste plan. NRC rules currently allow 30 days.

In a seven-page order, the four-member commission said 180 days was too long to alter longstanding rules.

But they agreed to allow an additional 30 days as a “modest extension of time.” On top of the 30 days already allowed, this means the state and other participants in Yucca licensing would have 60 days to file contentions.