A federal judge rules against Energy officials, who say they need 8 million gallons to continue work on the Yucca Mountain site. By Ralph Vartabedian, ralph.vartabedian@latimes.com, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer From the Los Angeles Times, September 5, 2007, Copyright 2006 Los Angeles Times The Energy Department's controversial plan to build a nuclear waste dump in Nevada was trumped by Western water law Tuesday, when a federal judge rejected the agency's demand for 8 million gallons of water that state officials have refused to release.