For years, environmentalists, the nuclear industry, presidential
administrations and Congress have battled over how to
establish a system to dispose of high-level nuclear waste.
In 1982, Congress passed the Nuclear Waste Policy Act,
which required the Department of Energy (DOE) to open
a permanent underground repository for high-level nuclear
waste by 1998. The law established a ìNuclear Waste Fundî
to collect fees on commercial nuclear power to finance
a permanent storage facility. Despite this funding, efforts
to find a suitable site have been delayed by lawsuits,
environmental challenges, problems with DOE and resistance
by states being considered for possible sites. No permanent
solution to safe disposal of high-level nuclear waste
has yet been found.
In 1987, Congress amended the Nuclear Waste Policy Act
to focus on Yucca Mountain, Nevada, as the best site to
bury up to 70,000 tons of high-level nuclear waste. Today,
scientists are still studying whether the site is suitable.
Yucca Mountain opponents argue that the site is an unfit
place for nuclear waste storage, noting that Nevada ranks
third in the nation for earthquake activity. In addition,
they cite a 1997 study that found evidence of rainwater
seepage at Yucca Mountain, raising concerns about potential
groundwater contamination. Other concerns revolve around
transporting the waste from nuclear power plants to the
Yucca Mountain site. The waste would move through 43 states
via rail and truck over a 30 year-period with 300 to 500
shipments a year.
Clearly, the current storage system is dangerous and
inadequate to meet future nuclear storage needs. Currently
over 42,000 tons of waste is stored in 41 states in large
on-site pools of water. The industry contends that some
of these storage pools are almost full.The Department
of Energy must make a recommendation about Yucca Mountainís
potential as a permanent site by 2001. If the site is
found to be a suitable location a license application
will be made in 2002, construction would begin in 2005
and the waste would be moved to the facility starting
in 2010.
Until a suitable, permanent location is found, the DOE,
Congress and the nuclear utilities have been researching
possible areas to serve as an interim nuclear waste storage
site. Since 1994, Congress has introduced bills each legislative
session to dump nuclear waste in a temporary above ground
site at Yucca Mountain. However, these bills continue
to be met with opposition from environmentalists, the
Clinton administration and particularly the Nevada congressional
delegation. Critics of the bills cite the risk of transport
accidents en route to Yucca Mountain as a major reason
for their opposition.
For more information on nuclear waste issues and what
you can do to help, check out these Web sites:
