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 providing news releases on current program activities to the local media, and 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:

• Formal interactions between Nye County and DOE;

• Review and comment of program-related documents and policy positions;

• Nye County impact mitigation strategy development;

• Public Outreach, Education, and public participation opportunities for Nye County residents.

• Monitoring and analysis of DOE and Congressional policy initiatives;

• Program-related oversight activities of the Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board (NWTRB), U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and others; and

• International waste management programs.

Formal Interactions Between Nye County and DOE

As the Situs county of the repository and the bearer of most of the burden associated with repository development, Nye County requested, and was granted cooperating agency status on the Repository Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement" (SEIS).  Participation included the addition of Nye County's perspectives on cumulative impacts (Section 8.6.2) and mitigation (Section 9.2.3) to the SEIS.  A scoping comment on alternative residency scenario for socioeconomic analysis was incorporated in Appendix A.4.

Reviews of Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) Documents

Nye County participated in review and comment resolution on the preliminary draft 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. 

In February 2002, the DOE published an EIS under National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) guidelines for the construction and operation of Nevada Rail along several corridors, and for the construction and operation of the repository at Yucca Mountain. On April 8, 2004, the DOE issued a Record of Decision selecting the Caliente Corridor as the preferred corridor in which to examine possible alignments for the rail line. The DOE recently issued a Draft Supplemental EIS (DSEIS) to update its evaluation of the Caliente Corridor and to examine the environmental effects of constructing and operating Nevada Rail along the Mina Corridor. Nye County provided review comments to the Draft Supplemental 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-S2D) and the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Construction and Operation of a Railroad in Nevada to a Geologic Repository at Yucca Mountain, Nye County, Nevada (DOE/EIS-0369D).
 

Recent Nye County Impact Mitigation Strategy Development Activities

Because of uncertainty about future conditions, Nye County believes that conclusions about potential impacts should be continuously assessed and evaluated through an appropriate monitoring program.  "Although extensive studies, analyses, and modeling were conducted for the Repository, a level of uncertainty remains regarding potential environmental and social impacts.  Therefore, adopting an adaptive management approach..., would provide DOE with a clear process for monitoring various parameters and adapting management decisions and mitigation measures as needed" (Nye County EIS/SEIS Rail review comments, 2008)

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.