Dialogs by Jerry Szymanski regarding the Yucca Mountain controversy from December, 1990 to March, 1991: Volume 3. Special report number 9, Contract number 92/94.0004

This report is a critical review of a US Geological Survey (USGS) paper regarding the origin of the Yucca Mountain calcite-opaline silica deposits. The report is in the form of a letter to the original authors in the USGS detailing the criticism regarding the origin of calcitic veins in the Yucca Mountain region. The USGS paper contributed most of these calcrete deposits to meteoric dissolution and precipitation mechanisms while the author presents his case for hydrothermal and magmatic origins. The paper presents strong isotopic characterization of these deposits to demonstrate a volcanic influence or source of this mineralization. Strontium, uranium, and carbon isotopes are graphed and compared from the numerous geologic and ground water samples available