The Phony Express

Falsified Yucca documents lead to investigation of project's science

The use of fabricated sources in a study about the safety of the proposed Yucca Mountain nuclear-waste dump -- revealed in a series of emails between scientists -- has Energy and Interior Department officials scrambling to investigate. The U.S. Geological Survey study was critical to the project's approval, as it concluded that radioactive waste inside the depository would be safe, prevented from leaking into groundwater, for thousands of years. The project is already some 14 years behind schedule, and with questions arising about the science supporting the project, opponents -- including Nevada's congressional delegation and its Republican governor, Kenny Guinn -- may be successful in keeping the dump from being built at all. "This proves once again that [the Department of Energy] must cheat and lie in order to make Yucca Mountain look safe," said Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.). "It is abundantly clear that there is no such thing as 'sound science' at Yucca Mountain."