ATOMIC SAFETY & LICENSING BOARD ADMITS EIGHT PARTIES, 

299 CONTENTIONS IN YUCCA MOUNTAIN PROCEEDING 

 The Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s Atomic Safety and Licensing Boards (ASLBs) 

have granted a hearing on the Yucca Mountain license application, admitting eight petitioners as 

parties and a total of 299 contentions on safety and environmental issues. 

 In a 153-page order issued today, the ASLBs, designated as “construction authorization 

boards,” granted the petitions to intervene filed by the states of Nevada and California; the 

Nuclear Energy Institute; Nye County, Nev.; Clark County, Nev., White Pine County, Nev.; Inyo 

County, Calif.; and a joint petition filed by Churchill, Esmeralda, Lander and Mineral counties, 

Nev. The Boards ruled that these petitioners demonstrated standing and raised at least one 

admissible contention regarding the application. 

 The boards rejected the petition of the Caliente Hot Springs Resort, which failed to 

demonstrate standing. The Timbisha Shoshone Tribe and the Timbisha Shoshone Yucca 

Mountain Oversight Program (now acting jointly), and the Native Community Action Council 

were not admitted at this time, because they have not demonstrated full compliance with the 

NRC’s Licensing Support Network (LSN), an online database of documentation relating to the 

Yucca Mountain proceeding. Those petitioners could be admitted as parties at a later date if they 

demonstrate LSN compliance. 

 Eureka and Lincoln counties in Nevada were granted status as interested governmental 

participants. 

 The Department of Energy submitted its application last June for authorization to 

construct a geologic high-level nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain, about 100 miles 

northwest of Las Vegas. The Commission’s notice of hearing was published in October, and in 

December, 12 petitions to intervene and 318 proposed contentions were filed with the ASLB. 

The construction authorization boards, each consisting of three judges, heard oral arguments on 

standing of petitioners and admissibility of contentions in Las Vegas from March 31-April 2. 

The boards issued a combined order today. 

NRC NEWS

U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

Office of Public Affairs Telephone: 301/415-8200 

Washington, D.C. 20555-0001 

E-mail: opa.resource@nrc.gov

Site: http://www.nrc.gov

No. 09-083 May 11, 2009
The boards noted that an unusually high proportion of proposed contentions were 

admitted, but noted that many are identical or nearly identical in their arguments. These are 

likely to be consolidated or grouped together to facilitate case management, the boards said. 

 Parties and petitioners have 10 days to appeal today’s order to the Commission. They will 

then have another 10 days to reply to any appeals. 

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