Sam Gibbons: “last week the Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board joined an ever-expanding list of independent experts who are…”

“last week the Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board joined an ever-expanding list of independent experts who are criticizing the science being touted by the Department of Energy regarding the Yucca Mountain Project. In its report the board called the DOE's science ``weak to moderate.'' Board member and hydrologist Paul Craig added that ``many of the DOE's assumptions regarding Yucca Mountain are extreme and unrealistic.'' John Bartlett, former Director of DOE's Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management, stated that ``the documentation does not provide a sound foundation for the basis of a site recommendation.'' Moreover, the GAO has raised its own concerns with the Yucca Mountain Project, stating that ``making a site recommendation at this time would not be prudent or practical.'' Mr. Speaker, when will the DOE begin to answer the serious questions being raised about its failed science? Hopefully they will do that before going any further into the site recommendation process and before the lives of millions of Americans are jeopardized.”