Tuesday, April 05, 2005

Fraud Allegations Probed at Yucca Mountain

WASHINGTON (AP) - Lawmakers summoned top Energy and Interior department officials to explain e-mails in which scientists on the Yucca Mountain project talk about inventing facts, keeping two sets of records and deleting data that didn't get a desired result.

A congressional panel chaired by Rep. Jon Porter, R-Nev., planned to question the Energy Department official overseeing the nuclear waste dump project, along with the head of the U.S. Geological Survey, whose employees authored the e-mails. Also on the witness list were the inspectors general of both departments, who are conducting investigations.

In advance of the hearing set for Tuesday, Porter's House Government Reform federal work force and agency organization subcommittee last week released portions of the dozens of e-mails, written between 1998 and 2000, that show workers discussing concocting facts and keeping two sets of figures, one for themselves and one to show quality assurance officers.

In one a USGS scientist writes: "I don't have a clue when these programs were installed. So I've made up the dates and names. ... This is as good as it's going to get. If they need more proof, I will be happy to make up more stuff."

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