New Government Report: Commercial Nuclear Waste

Commercial Nuclear Waste: Effects of a Termination of the Yucca Mountain Repository Program and Lessons Learned

by Mark E. Gaffigan
Paperback, 80 pages, 2011, $25.00
ISBN: 1437985629

Spent nuclear fuel — considered very hazardous — is accumulating at commercial reactor sites in 33 states. The Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 directs the Dept. of Energy (DoE) to dispose of this waste in a repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. In June 2008, DoE submitted a license application for the repository, but in March 2010 moved to withdraw it. However, the NRC or the courts could compel DoE to resume the licensing process. This report examines: (1) the basis for DoE’s decision to terminate the Yucca Mountain program; (2) the termination steps DoE has taken and their effects; (3) the major impacts if the repository were terminated; and (4) the principal lessons learned. Charts and tables. This is a print on demand report.

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