April 20, 1999

Mr. Lake Barrett, Acting Director
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management
1000 Independence Avenue SW
Washington DC 20585

RE: Public Comment Period for Yucca Mountain Repository Draft EIS

Dear Mr. Barrett:

On behalf of the Eureka County Board of Commissioners, I am writing to request that the Department of Energy provide a comment period of at least 180 days, rather than the 90 period announced at the public update meetings in Nevada and at the January DOE-AUG meeting.

In its 1997 Scoping Comment Summary Document, DOE stated that there would be a 180 day comment period for the DEIS. One hundred eighty days is an appropriate and necessary review period for a document as complex as the Yucca Mountain Repository DEIS. Review of an EIS is a time-consuming and procedural process for a county government. In additional, we feel that 180 days will give the citizens of Eureka County an adequate amount of time to review the document and participate in the process.

You have already received a letter (dated March 8, 1999) from the ten affected units of local government, including Eureka County. We are also writing separately to emphasize our strong interest in seeing that DOE provides 180 days to comment on the document.

We are pleased that DOE has committed to holding a DEIS hearing in Crescent Valley, in Eureka County, and hope that by providing the public and the county with adequate time to review the DEIS that DOE will affirm its commitment to full public involvement.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

Pete Goicoechea, Chairman

Pete Goicoechea, Chairman

cc:
Leonard Fiorenzi
Abby Johnson, Eureka County
AULGs
Congressional delegation
Russ Dyer, DOE Yucca Mountain Project