Jul 09, 2017 this book covers the early history of the yucca mountain project and how it was derailed by radical political and academic forces. Yucca mountain repository assessment office inyo county. Walker explores the evolution of how the government has tried to deal with this issue from the time of the manhattan project in world war ii through the designation in 1987 of yucca mountain in nevada as a waste repository. Although nye county did not request such status, it is federally mandated as the candidate site for the yucca mountain repository. Department of energys doe yucca mountain project ymp is a scientific endeavor to determine the suitability of yucca mountain for the first longterm, highlevel nuclear waste repository in the united states. With twenty years of provisions, the yucca mountain sanctuary serves as a valuable refuge when a doomsday asteroid, 1989dp onesimus, strikes earth. The book does not pass judgment on the suitability of the site but provides reliable sciencebased information to support open debate and inquiry into its safety. Although many scientists favor geologic disposal of highlevel nuclear waste, there. Yucca mountain timeline background work on the yucca mountain project began in the early 1980s and lasted about three decades. And the resulting book about a mountain tells the story of yucca and a suicide. To resolve concerns raised by a department of energy doe staff scientist concerning the potential for ground water to rise 1,000 feet to the level proposed for the repository, doe requested this study to evaluate independently the past history and future potential of large upward excursions of the ground water beneath yucca mountain. There are ten 10 designated affected units of local governments aulgs in relative proximity to yucca mountain. Despite perrys allocation of funds to restart licensing for the yucca mountain nuclear waste repository, the project is facing extreme opposition from nevada officials. The white bullet trains come in and out thrice daily, soundless, only a slight pressing and unpressing of the air.
The yucca mountain nuclear waste repository, as designated by the nuclear waste policy act. Reid keeps new yucca mountain funding at bay reid keeps new yucca mountain funding at bay comments, state of nevada. The development of radioactive waste policy in the united states 9780520260450. Arc2007d254004404 a brief history of the yucca mountain project iii abstract much hope was placed on the yucca mountain project. Map showing the location of the proposed repository at yucca mountain, nevada. Its time for a discussion of yucca mountain nuclear waste.
In 2002, the president and congress approved yucca mountain in nevada as the site for this repository. For decades, the conversation has focused on where to establish a longterm repository for nuclear waste. Scientific investigations began at yucca mountain at the end of the 1970s. One day the repository will be filled and it will be sealed and. 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. Walker translates the issue of nuclear waste history into a contemporary.
The yucca mountain project began in 1982 when congress passed the nuclear waste policy act. The current status of this longterm project from the. As way of background, the nuclear waste policy act as amended nwpa designated the yucca mountain site in nevada as the only site to be considered as a geologic repository for disposal of spent. Geological history of yucca mountain nevada and the problem of. Yucca mountain, located in nye county, is the sole candidate site for the nations first highlevel civilian nuclear waste repository. Yucca mountain project history told from the inside pahrump. Nuclear waste repository project office nye county, nv. Trump is trying to revive the yucca mountain nuclear waste. Yucca mountain is a mountain in nevada, near its border with california, approximately 100 miles 160 km northwest of las vegas. Hitesh nigam em33 edgard espinosa, gary deleon em33. Department of energy, will not be ready to accept spent fuel before 2017. Scientists voice concerns about yucca mountain repository.
Federal lawmakers made their way to nevada to visit the proposed yucca mountain nuclear waste repository near mercury. Coauthor says new book is not pro yucca mountain las vegas. Trump says administration wants innovative approach to. Geological history of yucca mountain nevada and the. At a june hearing, robert halstead, executive director of the nevada agency for nuclear projects, testified on behalf of the state in opposition to the yucca mountain. In 2008, the nrc issued and adoption determination report adr which concluded that t. Yucca mountain and the proposed nuclear waste storage site. The department of energy was to begin accepting spent fuel at the yucca mountain repository by january 31, 1998 but has yet to do so because of a series of. The department releases two draft eis documents, one on the repository itself and another on the rail corridor. Yucca mountain in southern nevada is more a ridge than a mountain. The site is located on federal land adjacent to the nevada test site in. Even though there is no population near yucca mountain, there is a lot of population on the proximities. Seismic system composite catalogue and the southern great basin seismic network provide current and historical earthquake information. From the manhattan project through the designation in 1987 of yucca mountain in nevada as a highlevel waste repository, walker thoroughly investigates the approaches.
The state of nevada still strongly opposes yucca mountain and hasnt changed its tune since passage of the nuclear waste policy act amendments in 1987 colloquially known in nevada as the screw nevada bill, which designated yucca mountain as the proposed repository site. Created as deep volcanic tuff deposited by an extinct supervolcano or caldera, it gradually rises from a height of 4,000 feet. If development of a permanent repository at yucca mountain moves forward, such information on how the site was evaluated and on the enormous amount of work involved in demonstrating its suitability will prove invaluable once. Collection history yucca mountain research collection library. The legislation stipulates the significance of geologic and hydrologic conditions in selecting a repository site and mandates the. Department of energy doe submitted a license application to the u.
Mar 22, 2010 the national academy of sciences came out in favor of yucca mountain, but nevada gained the support of influential senators such as hilary clinton, barack obama, and barbara boxer, all of whom came out against the repository. 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. Christiansen and lipman, 1965, and the geology was known to be uncomplicated. The repository is located in a desert on federal land adjacent to the nevada test site in nye county, nevada, within yucca mountain, a ridge line in the southcentral part of the u. Does yucca mountain public internet database, the licensing support network, is ruled complete. Department of energy plans to turn yucca mountain into the nations first highlevel nuclear waste repository, if a study finds the site safe. In 1999, the united states government took possession of a seemingly dormant and highly radioactive prehistoric spore that was discovered in a cave in the philippines, storing it inside the still indevelopment yucca mountain nuclear waste repository. Apr 26, 2002 originally, yucca mountain was selected because of its natural characteristics. The department of energy doe is studying yucca mountain as a potential repository repository for radioactive waste. Part of the nato asi series book series asdt, volume 18. Department of energy officials was held on july 14 for a dozen congressmen, who all support making the yucca mountain.
To be sure, nevada got a raw deal back in the early 1980s, when congress chose yucca mountain as the nations nuclear waste repository. Western shoshone nation opposes yucca mountain nuclear repository. 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. If approved, the site would be the nations first geological repository for permanent disposal of spent nuclear fuel and highlevel radioactive waste. Department of energy to study yucca mountain as a nuclear waste repository in 1987. The western shoshone national council wsnc challenges the u. Congress thought it had resolved that question in 1987 when it decided yucca mountain in the nevada desert was the best site. Department of energy deep geological repository storage facility for spent nuclear reactor fuel and other radioactive waste. Browse the amazon editors picks for the best books of 2019, featuring our. If the plan proceeds, 77,000 tons of hazardous radioactive materials from the 110 u.
Yucca mountain nuclear waste repository wikizilla, the. Site geology the proposed highlevel radioactive waste repository at yucca mountain would be constructed in the thick uz in the topopah spring tuff of the paintbrush group rhyolitic to quartz dacitic tuffs. Geosciences, environment, and resource commission and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Fukushima aftermathyucca mountain wikibooks, open books. Congress passes the nuclear waste policy amendments act of 1987, directing the doe to characterize only yucca mountain as a geologic repository for highlevel radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel disposal. Apr 01, 2020 the nuclear waste policy act of 1982 nwpa codified the u. It is the site of the yucca mountain nuclear waste repository, which is currently identified by congressional. Scientists prepare to debate danger of yucca mountains volcanic neighbors. Fukushima aftermathyucca mountain wikibooks, open books for. History of yucca mountain lander county repository. July 26, 2016 eureka county comment letter to the u. History of yucca mountain project in decending order 1982 congress passes the nuclear waste policy act, requiring the establishment of a deep geologic repository for nuclear waste storage and isolation. Robert spencer talked about his book, the truth about muhammad. The agency filed for a construction permit there in 2008.
Congress chose yucca mountain as the site for a deep geologic repository, should the nuclear regulatory commission grant the energy department a permit to build and run it. From the manhattan project through the designation in 1987 of yucca mountain in nevada as a highlevel waste repository, walker thoroughly investigates the approaches adopted by the u. A look at the attempt to establish yucca mountain in nevada as a site for a nuclear waste repository. Voegele said the books cover the history of the united states.
This book covers the early history of the yucca mountain project and how it was derailed by radical political and academic forces. Yucca mountain is located in western nevada, near the california border. Doe abandons 2017 opening date for yucca mountain, estimating that the facility will not be operational until 2020 at the earliest. President donald trump tweeted that his administration is exploring innovative approaches to the yucca mountain nuclear waste repository. Chapter 1, repository safety before permanent closure chapter 2, repository safety after permanent closure chapter 3, research and development program to resolve safety questions chapter 4, performance confirmation program chapter 5, management systems. Walkers thoughtful and detailed history of the technology and politics of the nuclear waste problem lucidly illustrates why, more than sixty years after the dawn. The yucca mountain repository was supposed to open in 2020 but in 2007 nevada democrat harry reid became senate majority leader, and when barack obama was elected president a year later, his. Department of energy doe released the yucca mountain science and engineering report doe 2001a, which provided a technical summary of the latest scientific and engineering information about the potential repository at yucca mountain, to support public comment on the secretarys consideration of the yucca mountain site. Department of energys responsibility for developing a geologic repository for used nuclear fuel. While this land has been occupied for thousands of years by the western shoshone and southern paiute indigenous peoples, it was recently the center of a controversy concerning the proposal for a largescale storage of mass amounts of nuclear waste. Doe internal report, us department of energy, las vegas, nevada.
Randall meredith, his wife, and their two children are some of the lucky ones able to ride out the effects of the asteroids impact. Assessing the safety and viability of a vital national asset. The book does not pass judgment on the suitability of the site but provides. The outcome of nuclear waste on the long term is obviously still unknown and yucca mountain is located just around 100 miles away from las vegas. What to make of trumps remarks on yucca mountain nuclear. On this website you will find current news clippings, documents, photos, maps, and much more on the history and current developments at yucca mountain. Two repositories are to be developed, one on each side of the country, to ensure regional equity. Michael voegele, a 30plus year resident of southern nevada, along with coauthor donald vieth, recently released waste of a mountain. These aulgs have been granted authority to provide information and public.
A credible history of yucca mountain cannot be written without incorporation of such variable knowledge and perspectives. Inyo county has been participating in licensing activities being conducted by nuclear regulatory commission nrc concerning the proposed repository for high level nuclear waste at yucca mountain for many years. Knowing this history will be important as america attempts to restart the repository project. How yucca mountain was selected, studied, and dumped through nye county press. The legislation stipulates the significance of geologic and hydrologic conditions in selecting a repository site and mandates the consideration of at least five sites in two or more types. Scientists prepare to debate danger of yucca mountains. In 2002 the department of energy recommended that yucca mountain be designated as the main nuclear waste repository in the united states on the basis that the geographic location, natural barriers, and design of the proposed facility was a unique combination that would ensure safe storage. Obama cuts funds to nuclear waste repository president obama has lived up to a campaign promise by cutting off most funds to develop yucca mountain in nevada as the nations nuclear waste dump. The yucca mountain nuclear waste dump, a political hot potato. The book does not pass judgment on the suitability of the site but provides reliable sciencebased information to. Yucca mountain is a necessary cornerstone of our future hopes for energy self sufficiency. Draft supplement to eis for yucca mountain repository nureg2184, august 2015 docket id nrc 20150051 pdf, 100 page state of nevada.
Yucca mountain nuclear waste repository, nevada bechtel. After an overview of the historical and regulatory context, the contributors. Yucca mountain is located approximately 90 miles northwest of las vegas. A look inside yucca mountains proposed nuclear waste storage. Situated some 90 miles from las vegas, nevada yucca mountain is currently the only site that has been studied in detail for geological disposal of spent nuclear fuel and defense highlevel waste. To many, it seemed the only viable solution for the final storage of spent nuclear fuel that has been in temporary. 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. Department of energy doe on june 3, 2008, for a license to construct and operate the nations first geologic repository for highlevel nuclear waste at yucca mountain, nevada. Jul 08, 2016 the former chief scientist of the yucca mountain project has released a twovolume, 920page book on the history of the project.
Arc2007d254004404 a brief history of the yucca mountain project v list of figures figure 1. Thursdays announcement comes just months after his. Numerous reasons have caused the delay, including scientific, technological, political, economic and legal problems. Yucca mountain as a national nuclear waste repository, which according to the most recent information from the u. Yucca mountain project history told from the inside. It might be possible that the waste destroys the health of the population in the future. The book also describes the history of the united states governments actions.
Congress passes nuclear waste policy act, requiring establishment of a place to store nuclear waste. Jul 20, 2018 federal lawmakers made their way to nevada to visit the proposed yucca mountain nuclear waste repository near mercury. Department of energy officials was held on july 14 for a dozen congressmen, who all support making the yucca mountain site the nations nuclear waste dump. The book also covers the background of the creation of the radioactive waste, and the national search for repository sites prior to. Secondary mineral deposits and evidence of past seismicity. To some extent, views on yucca mountain were divided along party lines, with republicans in favor and democrats opposed.
Yucca mountain, about 90 miles from las vegas, was in the 1980s identified as the nations potential nuclear storehouse it would take, and hold, some of the most hazardous wastes on the planet. Yucca mountain, nevadaa proposed geologic repository for. A look inside yucca mountains proposed nuclear waste. In 2017, the project was again added to president trumps proposed budget, breathing life into repository work that had been essentially dead since 2009. It is the site of the yucca mountain nuclear waste repository, which is currently identified by congressional law as the nations spent nuclear waste storage facility. The current status of this longterm project from the construction perspective is described.
Nuclear regulatory commission nrc, seeking authorization to construct a highlevel waste geologic repository at yucca mountain, nevada. The yucca mountain repository was the united states designated deep geological repository. In gold fame citrus, the yucca mountain, which is located in the deserts of nevada, an hour northwest of las vegas, has officially become a nuclear waste depository. It required the establishment of a deep geologic repository for nuclear waste storage and isolation. Technical bases for yucca mountain standards by national research council staff. Originally, yucca mountain was selected because of its natural characteristics. Chronology of key political and policy developments regarding. Edward sproat delivered opening remarks at the forum on yucca mountain and the nuclear renaissance. Yucca mountain repository nye, nevada atlas obscura. With a tweet, trump reverses course on yucca mountain. Technical bases for yucca mountain standards committee. History of yucca mountain project lander county repository. Although many scientists favor geologic disposal of highlevel nuclear waste, there are. The yucca mountain nuclear waste site has always been a.