The issues include understanding how water could infiltrate the. License application for the yucca mountain repository. Yucca mountain repository nye, nevada atlas obscura. In june 2008, doe submitted a license application for the repository, but in march 2010 moved to withdraw it. April 2017 commercial nuclear waste resuming licensing of the.
This report, called a viability assessment, is intended to support decisions on continuing the repository project and authorizing a waste storage facility near yucca mountain that may be made before the department has determined if the site is suitable for a repository. That document, entitled viability assessment of a repository at yucca mountain, brings together thousands of technical investigations conducted by federal, state, university. The site of a proposed repository for highlevel radioactive waste from the nations nuclear power plants is not at risk of gro. Nuclear waste disposal in the usa is a difficult policy issue infused with. It is the site of the yucca mountain nuclear waste repository, which is currently identified by. Litigation over does application for water rights for construction and operation of a repository at yucca mountain is still ongoing.
Article information, pdf download for underlying yucca mountain, open epub for. Yucca mountain, the nevadabased, scientifically flawed and politically unjust proposed highlevel radioactive waste repository has now been canceled. It is common sense, and sound science, to site and build a nuclear waste repository to isolate radioactive waste as completely as possible from the human environment for the hazardous lifetime of the waste. The act dictates that hlw and spent fuel will be disposed of underground, in a deep geologic repository, at yucca mountain, nevada. Yucca mountain is debated and passed first in the house of representatives and then more narrowly in the senate. The yucca mountain nuclear waste dump, a political hot. Department of energy license application for a geologic repository. Yucca mountain nuclear waste repository, nevada bechtel. Solving a national problem now on june 3, 2008, the u. High level waste repository downloadprint as adobe pdf file.
Yucca mountain as a radioactivewaste repository usgs. For details, see the following documents and correspondence from doe. Yucca mountain as a radioactive waste repository by thomas c. Yucca mountain is an ideal site for nuclear disposal the. The effort to turn yucca mountain into the nations nuclear waste repository went mostly dormant during the obama administration. Nuclear regulatory commission nrc for a license to construct a repository at yucca mountain. Pdf key words unsaturated flow in fractures, nuclear waste transport, spent fuel chemistry, fracture. By 2012, existing waste at reactors exceeded the statutory capacity limit. In 2008, the department of energy applied to the nuclear regulatory commission to build an underground repository for this waste at yucca mountain in nevada. Reid can continue to oppose yucca under the current plan and simultaneously offer a better solution that would put nevadas interests first. Yucca mountain is located approximately 90 miles northwest of las vegas. In 2010, doe reversed course and said yucca mountain was no longer a workable option. Update on yucca mountain repository and transportation impacts. President bush makes historic, but wrong, choice on nuclear waste.
Does site characterization report evaluates whether yucca mountain is a suitable site for a spent nuclear fuel and highlevel radioactive waste repository. The proposed yucca mountain repository from a corrosion. Nuclear regulatory commission nrc, seeking authorization to construct a highlevel waste geologic repository at yucca mountain, nevada. Bush has recommended yucca mountain in nevada as the u. The scientific basis for the selection of the yucca mountain site continues to be only a marginal consideration. Resuming licensing of the yucca mountain repository. The yucca mountain nuclear waste repository, located on a piece of land adjoining the nevada test site in nye county, nevada, was designed to be a deep geological repository storage facility for spent nuclear fuel and other high level radioactive waste, as designated by the nuclear waste policy act amendments of.
The current national policy of constructing a federal repository to dispose of this waste at yucca mountain which is about 100 miles northwest of las vegas, nevadahas already been delayed more than a decade. Analyses of releases due to drilling at the potential yucca. Waste disposal plans and the yucca mountain repository. Apr 26, 2002 in fact, the nuclear waste policy act amendments of 1987 eliminated alternative sites. Includes recent news articles, maps, photos, links, faq, timeline, publications, and legislative information related to the proposed nuclear waste repository at yucca mountain, nevada.
Feb 15, 2002 for immediate release press release president bush makes historic, but wrong, choice on nuclear waste decision to designate yucca mountain as worlds first nuclear waste repository will not increase security and may threaten crucial water resources independent scientific institute says decision based on politics, not sound science takoma park, maryland. Between the two, they are meant to entomb tens of thousands of metric tons of nuclear waste, most of which will remain dangerous for centuries. Scientists voice concerns about yucca mountain repository. The yucca mountain nuclear waste repository was to be a deep geological repository storage facility for spent nuclear reactor fuel and other high level radioactive waste. Modern day technology has placed energy in high demand. The viability assessment of a repository at yucca mountain describes the nuclear waste. Nuclear regulatory commission staff to evaluate a u. Commercial nuclear waste resuming licensing of the yucca mountain repository would require rebuilding capacity at doe and nrc, among other key steps what gao found after the department of energy doe submitted its march 2010 motion to withdraw its license appl ication to construct a geologic repository at yucca.
Yucca mountain project the united states currently. Yucca mountain archival documents from the former office of civilian radioactive waste management. However, the nuclear regulatory commission nrc or the courtsas. Potential high level nuclear waste storage site for the next 10,000 years and beyond. Alert me when this program is available for purchase. Update on yucca mountain repository and transportation. Additional yucca mountain license applicationrelated documents are available through the nuclear regulatory commissions licensing support network. A number of other lawsuits relating to the yucca mountain repository and to nuclear waste storage and disposal are also ongoing. Update on yucca mountain repository and transportation impacts robert j. Yucca mountain rail corridor impact study 2004 the eureka county rail corridor impact study identifies construction and operation issues associated with development of the carlin alignment, a proposed u. This place is not a place of honor damn interesting. It is estimated that for hundreds to thousands of years after the repository is closed, heat from the encapsulated waste would.
The nation has over 40,000 metric tonnes mt of nuclear waste destined for disposal in a geologic repository at yucca mountain. Radionuclide releases due to drilling into the potential yucca mountain nuclear waste repository have been evaluated as part of a recent totalsystem performance assessment. Halstead office of the governor nevada agency for nuclear projects nevada legislature committee on highlevel radioactive waste. Yucca mountain nuclear waste repository washington state. These investments would accelerate progress on fulfilling the federal governments obligations to address nuclear waste, enhance national security, and reduce future taxpayer burden. Catherine cortez masto on tuesday that the department of energy plans to seek alternatives to storing nuclear waste at yucca mountain, but he stopped short of backing an effort to change the law designating the site for a national repository. The making of an underground laboratory watch this 5 part video series describing how and why the nuclear waste repository laboratory was built into yucca mountain more from the doe about the yucca mountain project. Corrosion is a primary determinant of waste package performance at the proposed yucca mountain repository and will control the delay time for radionuclide transport from the waste package. The probability that a drilling event intersects a waste package is a function of the sizes of the drill bit and the waste package, and the density of placement of the containers in the repository. The yucca mountain nuclear waste repository, as designated by the nuclear waste policy act amendments of 1987, is a proposed deep geological repository. The decision to site yucca mountain as a waste repository was based on politics, not science. Will trump and perry revive proposed yucca mountain nuclear. Yucca mountain is an ideal site for nuclear disposal people walk into the south portal of yucca mountain during a congressional tour of the proposed radioactive waste. This will be the worlds first geologic repository for highlevel nuclear waste.
Washington hosts and oversees the cleanup of nearly twothirds of the nations defenserelated, highlevel radioactive waste at hanford. Also info on transportation of highlevel radioactive waste. The nuclear waste policy act of 1982 nwpa required the department of energy doe to investigate a geologic repository for nuclear waste. A bechtelled team studied yucca mountain as the site for the united states first national nuclear waste repositorywhere spentfuel rods from nuclear power plants and solidified highlevel radioactive waste from nuclear defense activities could be stored permanently.
Future dim for nuclear waste repository the new york times. The proposed repository is slated to contain 70,000 metric tons 77,000 u. Mar 16, 2017 a no trespassing sign outside the proposed nuclear waste dump site of yucca mountain in nevada. President bush makes historic, but wrong, choice on. The yucca mountain nuclear waste repository, located on a piece of land adjoining the nevada test site in nye county, nevada, was designed to be a deep geological repository storage facility for spent nuclear fuel and other high level radioactive waste, as designated by the nuclear waste policy act amendments of 1987. Yucca mountain project the united states currently obtains. The network was designed to allow easy access to the volumes of discovery documents that would support. Washington hosts and oversees the cleanup of nearly twothirds of the nations defenserelated, highlevel radioactive waste. President bush signs the joint resolution into law, officially designating yucca mountain as the nations nuclear waste repository site. Department of energy doe submitted an application to the u. Jun 25, 2017 yucca mountain is an ideal site for nuclear disposal.
Corrosion is the most probable and most likely degradation process that will determine when packages will be penetrated and the shape, size, and distribution of those penetrations. Dec 16, 2010 yucca mountain and nuclear waste policy. The yucca mountain nuclear waste repository, as designated by the nuclear waste policy act amendments of 1987, is a proposed deep geological repository storage facility within yucca mountain for spent nuclear fuel and other highlevel radioactive waste in the united states. Eureka county established its nuclear waste program in 1992 and. Viability assessment of a repository at yucca mountain. The overview describes why the unites states is considering yucca mountain and how a monitored geologic repository would work in the mountain. A bechtelled team studied yucca mountain as the site for the united states first national nuclear waste repository where spentfuel rods from nuclear power plants and solidified highlevel radioactive waste from nuclear defense activities could be stored permanently. Doe and nrc then took steps such as eliminating funding and vacating nrc. The disposal of highlevel waste hlw and spent nuclear fuel are governed under the nuclear waste policy act of 1982, as amended nwpa. The yucca mountain nuclear waste repository jose garcia march 21, 2012 submitted as coursework for ph241, stanford university, winter 2012 nuclear waste. Between 1944 and 1989, the us produced plutonium for use in nuclear weapons at the does hanford nuclear reservation in the tricities. Yucca mountain is a mountain in nevada, near its border with california, approximately 100 miles 160 km northwest of las vegas. Department of energy doe submitted a license application to the u. Yucca mountain will not meet epa radiation safety standards without a designelement.
Yucca mountain s characterization as a nuclear waste repository had received questions from the nuclear regulatory commission in comments on the 1988 u. The proponents of a repository site at yucca mountain, nevada, argue that their. The nuclear waste policy act of 1982, as amended, directs the department of energy doe to dispose of this waste in a repository at yucca mountain, nevada. The nuclear waste policy act of 1982 nwpa directed doe to investigate sites for a. The proposed action addressed in this final eis is to construct, operate and monitor, and eventually close a geologic repository at yucca mountain in southern nevada for the disposal of spent nuclear fuel and highlevel radioactive waste currently in storage or. Yucca mountain archival documents department of energy. In 2008, doe submitted a license application for the repository but in march 2010 moved to withdraw it. President bushs recommendation to develop a nuclear waste repository at yucca mountain in. Located in the great basin, yucca mountain is east of the amargosa desert, south of the nevada test and training range and in the nevada national security site. However, pro nuclear forces in congress have not abandoned yucca and funding is still allocated to the project. Energy secretary dan brouillette sought to reassure sen. Yucca mountain documents now publicly available in a new. David howellscorbisgetty images geologist john hartley at the entrance to the yucca mountain nuclear waste repository in. Sites in texas and new mexico sites could also be considered photo.
The present decision to make yucca mountain a repository for highlevel nuclear waste is a political decision that was presaged by the 1987 nwpaa. Doe begins work on its application for a license to build and run the repository. Geologic repository for the disposal of spent nuclear fuel and highlevel radioactive waste at yucca mountain, nye county, nevada. Yucca mountain science and engineering report department. As a result, nuclear waste generally remains at the sites where it was generated. Planning for the disposal of nuclear wastes in the united states has undergone many. Mountain as a disposal site for highlevel nuclear waste is premature, and the plans should not advance until the relevant scientific. Yucca mountain documents now publicly available in a new online library. Analyses of releases due to drilling at the potential. Yucca mountain science and engineering report describes the results of scientific and engineering studies of the yucca mountain site, the waste forms to be disposed, the repository and waste package designs, and the results of the most recent assessments of the longterm performance of the potential repository. In 1987, congress amended nwpa to direct doe to focus on a repository at yucca mountain, nevada. Some facts about yucca mountain geological repository are discussed.
Mar 06, 2009 president obamas proposed budget cuts off most money for the yucca mountain nuclear waste project, filling a promise but raising new questions about what to do with radioactive waste. Geologic and geophysical characterization studies of yucca. Nevada legislature committee on highlevel radioactive waste. Yucca mountain straddles the west boundary of the nevada test site in an arid, remote, and thinly. The viability assessment of a repository at yucca mountain describes the nuclear waste problem and explains why the united states and other nations are considering deep geologic disposal as the solution. Currently, the doe controls and manages spent nuclear fuel policy and the yucca mountain repository.
Yucca mountain nuclear waste repository wikivisually. Additional yucca mountain license applicationrelated documents are available through the nuclear regulatory. Power plants in 33 states store nearly 80,000 metric tons of radioactive waste. As part of this evaluation, scientists are studying yucca mountain s geology, hydrology, biology, and climate to determine whether any adverse conditions exist that would disqualify the site. It has been proposed that calcite veins near the yucca mountain, nevada, proposed nuclear waste repository site were precipitated from upwelling ground water szymanski, 1989. President bushs recommendation to develop a nuclear waste repository at yucca mountain in nevada was the subject of a. Apr 26, 2017 power plants in 33 states store nearly 80,000 metric tons of radioactive waste. View archival yucca mountain documents that were previously posted on the website for the office of civilian radioactive waste management. This website contains the latest news, press coverage, documents, and special reports about the yucca mountain nuclear waste repository in nevada eureka county atlas the maps were developed using geographic information systems technology. A look at the attempt to establish yucca mountain in nevada as a site for a nuclear waste repository. Yucca mountain, located approximately 80 miles northwest of las vegas, nevada, is the only site being considered for a highlevel nuclear waste repository in the united states. Apr 26, 2002 scientists voice concerns about yucca mountain repository. For immediate release press release president bush makes historic, but wrong, choice on nuclear waste decision to designate yucca mountain as worlds first nuclear waste repository will not increase security and may threaten crucial water resources independent scientific institute says decision based on politics, not sound science takoma park, maryland. Yucca mountain s facilities in the nevada desert are intended to house waste at 1,000 feet deep.
1620 1453 769 680 611 186 1227 52 502 1252 731 1333 986 1409 1273 1143 1216 513 449 707 974 91 745 244 1097 438 572 1278 77 1528 992 1431 441 836 577 199 1386 603 1404 1095 101