Nye County will pay $20,000 to send four members of a fact-finding mission on a study of geologic nuclear waste repository programs in Switzerland, including lame duck Commissioner Roberta "Midge" Carver, whose term expires in January.

The United States Transport Council sponsors a trip every year to highlight aspects of global programs for transporting and storing spent nuclear fuel.

The other members of the fact-finding delegation include Darrell Lacy, director of the Nye County Nuclear Waste Project office, Assistant County Manager Pam Webster and Geoscience Manager Levi Kryder.

The combined 12-member USTC delegation will visit a central, interim dry-cask storage facility operated by Zwilag, a company owned by four Swiss nuclear utilities, at Wurenlingen, Switzerland.

They will also visit one of Switzerland's five nuclear plants, tour research facilities and meet with energy and regulatory officials. The trip is scheduled for Sept. 20-27.

The Swiss government announced last year their five nuclear power reactors should be replaced with new units. A new nuclear plant is planned in Nideramt, near Gosgen, Switzerland, with a startup date expected after 2020.

The United States Transport Council is the leading voice of the U.S. nuclear materials transport industry, according to background information on the trip. The nonprofit organization includes companies like Duke Energy, General Electric, Northrup Grumman and others that expect to do business with the nuclear waste repository.

Last year, Nye County Commissioner Gary Hollis held a press conference to discuss the information he learned on a USTC triip to visit nuclear facilities in Okarshamn, Sweden, and Olkiluoto, Finland.

Lacey felt the delegation would learn some information relevant to the planned Yucca Mountain repository with this trip.

"Where the Finns and the Swedes were looking at putting things underground in a wet repository, Switzerland will be more like ours in a mountain repository," he said.

When asked why Carver would accompany the delegation -- she isn't seeking reelection when her term expires in just over three months -- Lacey said, "It's not up to me to say who can and can't go. It's up to the commissioners to make those decisions."

The trip was approved by commissioners on the consent agenda during the Aug. 19 meeting, in which numerous items seen as routine are approved in one motion without discussion.

The $20,000 will come out of the oversight money Nye County receives for the Yucca Mountain project.