WASHINGTON DC 30 Sep 2010 Yucca Mountain nuclear waste facility due to close

The Barak Obama administration wants to shut down the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste storage site in Nevada, and the United States Department of Energy plans to have it closed down by Sep 30. Some 90 miles from Las Vegas, the site is designed to store the growing stockpile of nuclear waste from reactors around the nation. Washington and several other states are suing to keep it open, but their court appeals won't be heard in time. A US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit consideration of the petitioners' arguments, previously scheduled for 23 Sep, is on hold.

In May a federal appeals court dismissed the challengers' request to freeze the shutdown until the court had weighed their arguments.

Yucca Mountain also has opponents. They have sued to block the project on grounds that the area has earthquake potential, and that transporting waste would create a hazard and potential target for terrorists.

Approximately 57,700 tons of nuclear waste sits at more than 100 temporary sites, according to the Washington Post in Mar 2009. Tons more are generated each year by nuclear power plants. The Yucca site was designed specifically to handle spent fuel rods from the nation's 103 nuclear generators.

Temporary sites will serve in the short term, according to experts, but long-term answers are needed for the radioactive waste. It needs to be kept safely stored for at least 1000 years.

The facility, which had been due for completion in 2020 has already cost some US 9 billion in 20 years of planning. (Last updated Aug 2010)

RELATED READING:

US Appeals Court puts consideration of Yucca Mountain case on hold (Platts 28 Jul 2010)
http://www.platts.com/RSSFeedDetailedNews.aspx?xmlpath=RSSFeed/HeadlineNews/Nuclear/6222706.xml

NRC Panel Delays Verdict on Yucca Nuclear Waste Site (AP/Agusta Chronicle 30 Apr 2010)
http://chronicle.augusta.com/latest-news/2010-05-04/hearing-set-plan-close-yucca?v=1272996186

Controversy Over Yucca Mountain May Be Ending (Washington Post 4 Mar 2009)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/03/AR2009030303638.html

Washington Sues to Revive Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste Plan (Bloomberg 14 Apr 2010)
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-04-14/washington-sues-to-revive-yucca-mountain-nuclear-waste-plan.html

Court gives DOE green light to continue Yucca shutdown (Las Vegas Review Journal 4 May 2010)
http://www.lvrj.com/news/court-gives-doe-green-light-to-continue-yucca-shutdown-92827489.html