Yucca could be cash cow for Nye County

Nye County anticipates being awarded $2.01 million during fiscal year 2003 to oversee the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste project, with $2.21 million in expenditures planned, according to a budget presented Dec. 3 to Nye County Commissioners.

The funds are received by Nye County under the Nuclear Waste Policy Act. The county has a $490,000 carryover from the present year for revenues of $2.5 million.

Nye County has allocated $1.085 million toward contracts in the coming year with another $1.13 million going toward personnel costs, operations and capital costs at the Nuclear Waste Repository Program Office. The contracts include:

• $164,400 to Terra Spectra Corporation to provide Geographic Information Systems support involving mapping, which will include a Pahrump Valley emergency response map folio; as well as maintaining the nyecounty.com Web site. Rate: associate $80 per hour; technician $55 per hour; administrative assistant $35 per hour.

• $155,000 to Malachy Murphy, regulatory and licensing adviser, to provide advice on U.S. Department of Energy compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act and other statutes, regulations and guidelines. Murphy will serve as the county's liaison to the U.S. Department of Energy, Nuclear Regulatory Commission and other agencies. He also will be the county's representative on the NRC Licensing Support Network Advisory Review Panel and work with the county on-site representative in implementing the county's Independent Scientific Investigation Program. Rate: lump sum payable monthly.

• $120,000 to attorney Rachel Nicholson to provide contracts, documents and legal papers; write "white papers" on legal and policy issues; assist with development of the Nevada Science and Technology Corridor and Regional Development Corporation; and assist in land acquisition for infrastructure or public facilities. Rate: $115 per hour.

• $120,000 to Jim Williams for ongoing updates of the Nye County Community Protection Plan; review DOE management practices and policies in Nevada; update databases on DOE employment, procurement and expenditures; update Nye County comprehensive plan policies to assess current economic and demographic trends and resources for economic and community development; assess factors along nuclear waste transportation corridors; assess local emergency management needs along prospective nuclear waste routes. Rate: Williams' fee $83 per hour; senior research associate $75 per hour; research associate $65 per hour; administrative employees $37 per hour.

• $115,000 to Don Watson to recommend policies on mitigating the impact of Yucca Mountain, including the community protection plan; provide economic development planning including master plans; design and implement strategies and programs to assist the county assess the socioeconomic impacts of Yucca Mountain. Rate: Watson $85 per hour; senior management associate $75 per hour; development associates $35 to $50 per hour.

• $115,000 to SRS Technologies for a broad range of services: licensing, transportation, land use, Payments Equal to Taxes, interactions with state and federal government. SRS Technologies will advocate Nye County's Community Protection Plan with the DOE and other agencies. Rate: principal consultant fee: $100 per hour; GIS support $50 per hour; half that cost while on travel status.

• $50,000 to Mary Ellen Giampaoli to provide guidance on National Environmental Policy Act reviews for proposed federal projects; provide research on public lands issues affecting Nye County. Rate: Principal $90 per hour; associate $70 per hour; administrative support $25 per hour.

• $42,000 to Katherine Rudd to provide help on administering and implementing federal grants. Rate: $50 per hour.

• $35,000 to Tom Buqo to provide geologic, geohydrologic and hydrologic support on various issues. Rate: $115 per hour.

• $30,000 to John Walton to provide hydro geochemistry, geochemistry, mineralogy assistance and advice on the Yucca Mountain engineered barrier system and waste package design. Rate: $90 per hour.

• $30,000 to Questa Engineering to provide reservoir-engineering expertise to analyze Yucca Mountain-related documents and undertake any special projects. Rate: $160 per hour for vice president to $55 per hour for junior technician.

• $10,000 to Thomas Anderson to provide a structural analysis of the Yucca Mountain-Death Valley area. Rate: $95 per hour.

• $5,000 to Bimal Mukhpadhyay to provide quality assurance technical support. Rate: $120 per hour.


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