The nation's only high level radioactive waste depository is loosing funding in the Obama administration budget. That is good news for the people of southern Nevada were the Yucca Mountain site is located ninety miles from Las Vegas. Senate majority leader Henry Reid has vigorously opposed burying radioactive waste in the underground salt dome. He called the budget cut the "most significant victory to date to protect Nevada from becoming the country's toxic wasteland". Recent geological studies show that underground water flows through the ridge in greater amounts that first estimated raising the possibility of corrosion damage to waste vessels intended to last for a millennium. Proponents of nuclear power as a clean alternative fuel both within the administration and in the industry have been dealt a serious setback. The problem with nuclear power has always been the permanent disposal of radioactive waste from the nuclear fuel cycle. {Nuclear is Not an Option, 12/31/2007}. Without a depository, depleted fuel rods and other high level waste must be stored in temporary facilities near the reactors. Approximately 57,700 tons of nuclear waste are stored at more than 100 temporary sites. Each year 2,000 more tons are generated. France reprocesses its spent fuel, but many experts believe this solution creates as many problems as it solves. There are no plans to withdraw the repository license application to avoid industry lawsuits. So far the government has spend $13.5 billion on the project. If completed, total costs are expected to exceed $96.2 billion. The Regime planned to have the Yucca Mountain facility on line by 2020.
Monday, March 09, 2009
Yucca Mountain Looses Funding
The nation's only high level radioactive waste depository is loosing funding in the Obama administration budget. That is good news for the people of southern Nevada were the Yucca Mountain site is located ninety miles from Las Vegas. Senate majority leader Henry Reid has vigorously opposed burying radioactive waste in the underground salt dome. He called the budget cut the "most significant victory to date to protect Nevada from becoming the country's toxic wasteland". Recent geological studies show that underground water flows through the ridge in greater amounts that first estimated raising the possibility of corrosion damage to waste vessels intended to last for a millennium. Proponents of nuclear power as a clean alternative fuel both within the administration and in the industry have been dealt a serious setback. The problem with nuclear power has always been the permanent disposal of radioactive waste from the nuclear fuel cycle. {Nuclear is Not an Option, 12/31/2007}. Without a depository, depleted fuel rods and other high level waste must be stored in temporary facilities near the reactors. Approximately 57,700 tons of nuclear waste are stored at more than 100 temporary sites. Each year 2,000 more tons are generated. France reprocesses its spent fuel, but many experts believe this solution creates as many problems as it solves. There are no plans to withdraw the repository license application to avoid industry lawsuits. So far the government has spend $13.5 billion on the project. If completed, total costs are expected to exceed $96.2 billion. The Regime planned to have the Yucca Mountain facility on line by 2020.