nuclear waste designated amendments deep geological storage facility spent nuclear fuel high level radioactive waste site located federal land adjacent nevada northwest project approved united_states congress federal funding site ended amendment passed april project difficulties highly contested general public politicians stated closure political technical safety reasons leaves non governmental entities utilities designated long term storage site high level radioactive waste stored site nuclear facilities country government waste new_mexico rooms feet underground reviewing options high level waste established secretary energy released final report january expressed urgency find consolidated geological future facility developed new independent organization direct access subject political financial control like meantime nuclear power plants united_states resorted indefinite site dry storage waste nearly steel concrete background spent nuclear fuel radioactive product electricity generation commercial nuclear power plants high level radioactive waste product spent fuel produce material nuclear weapons united_states congress established national policy solve problem nuclear waste disposal policy federal law called nuclear waste policy act responsible finding site building operating underground disposal facility called recommendation use dates recommended best means protecting environment public health safety dispose waste rock deep underground began studying determine suitable nation long term metric tons long tons short tons million pounds spent nuclear fuel high level radioactive waste stored sites nation estimated metric tons long tons short tons waste america military nuclear programs december selected locations states consideration potential sites based data collected nearly years sites studied results preliminary studies reported based reports president ronald_reagan approved sites intensive scientific study called site characterization sites washington texas congress amended nuclear waste policy act directed study located nuclear test site act provided site characterization location found unsuitable studies stopped immediately option expired site actually recommended president july president signed house joint resolution pub allowing step establishing safe store country nuclear waste begin accepting spent fuel mountain january series delays legal challenges concerns transport nuclear waste facility political pressures resulting construction july proposed march date open facility begin accepting waste based funding september ward edward nuclear industry executive energy pennsylvania nominated president bush lead following mid term congressional elections democratic nevada senator longtime opponent senate majority leader putting position greatly affect future project said continue work block completion project quoted having said dead happen spending bill budget reduced million project able resources delay transportation expenditures complete submission june lacking operating federal government owes utility companies million year compensation failing comply contract signed spent nuclear fuel presidential campaign barack_obama promised abandon project result senator moved nevada primary help obama campaign election told obama ability april south_carolina senators introduced legislation provide billion federally managed fund nuclear power plants paying collected funds project fact cancelled congress november response lawsuit filed court appeals ruled nuclear utilities stop paying nuclear waste recovery fund follows nuclear waste policy act congress changes law fee ended facility purpose project comply develop national site spent nuclear fuel high level radioactive waste storage management operating contractor april project consortium government contractors employees march employees remained project technical staff laid end zero funding budget responsibility post closure analysis ensuring compliance main tunnel shaped long wide cathedral like branch main tunnel scientific experiments conducted smaller diameter tunnels branching main tunnel waste stored constructed required construction authorization statutory limit metric tons short tons store waste required miles tunnels nuclear waste policy act limits capacity metric tons long tons short tons initial heavy metal commercial spent fuel commercial currently operating produce quantity spent fuel assuming spent fuel rods currently civil plant studied pieces geology world studies materials science united_states invested billion project estimates million gallons highly radioactive waste metric tons short tons spent fuel production nuclear weapons research activities temporary storage cost facility paid combination tax hour nuclear power disposal weapons naval nuclear waste based cost estimate approximately percent funded consumers nuclear powered electricity percent presented congress july director billion cost compared previous estimates included capacity twice large previously estimated longer period time years years additionally cost project continued insufficient funding efficiently forward complete project announced seeking double size capacity metric tons short tons million pounds tunnel boring machine excavated main tunnel cost million length operation sits exit point south entrance facility short tunnel excavated explosives opposition scheduled begin accepting spent fuel january years deadline future status unknown going litigation opposition senator construction delays number nuclear power plants united_states resorted dry storage waste site indefinitely nearly steel concrete project widely opposed nevada debated national topic thirds majority feel unfair state store nuclear waste nuclear power plants nevada opposition stemmed called screw nevada bill legislation halting study texas potential sites waste conclusions local county proposed facility located supports development adjoining counties point concern standard radiation years years future august proposed limit year period october issued draft shows years mean public dose year years median public dose year substantially proposed limit comparison hip ray results dose head chest scan results annually united_states individual background radiation places twice february secretary energy decision site suitable nation nuclear governor nevada days object objection governor objection stood project abandoned new site chosen august election issue senator said abandon plans elected march energy interior departments revealed geological survey exchanged discussing possible quality assurance documents water research february released report confirming technical modeling work performed employees march issued page white paper studied real estate planet conclusions extensive studies consistently sound site nuclear waste disposal cost moving forward extremely high nuclear waste disposal capability environmental nuclear waste disposal capability supports national security demand new nuclear plants demands disposal capability january announced designate lead laboratory integrate science work believe establishing lead laboratory important step new path forward independent expert review scientists perform help ensure technical scientific basis question acting director said unique experience managing scientific investigations support federally licensed disposal facility having served role scientific advisor new_mexico began acting lead laboratory october questions raised congressional members quality science announced march selection science education profit consortium includes doctoral degree granting institutions associate member universities provide expert reviews scientific technical work mountain project stated based sound science bringing review technical work seek present high level expertise credibility project forward award gives access academic research institutions help meet mission legal obligation license construct open nation spent nuclear fuel significant public political opposition project nevada attempt push ahead project opposition large projects decades complete chance sustained local opposition prevail happened project successful nuclear waste storage efforts scandinavia involved local communities decision making process given veto stage happen local communities potential storage sites early continued involvement process including funding allow retain technical experts march energy secretary reiterated senate hearing site longer considered option storing waste march filed motion withdraw license application multiple lawsuits stop action filed states counties individuals country unauthorized radiation standards original standard established standards june storage standard set dose limit year public outside site disposal standards consisted components individual dose standard standard evaluating impacts human intrusion protection standard individual protection human intrusion standards set limit year reasonably exposed individual highly exposed members public protection standard consistent safe drinking water act standards agency applies situations pollution prevention measure disposal standards apply period years facility closed dose assessments continue years placed subject compliance standard year period compliance assessment consistent generally applicable standards developed nuclear waste policy act reflects international guidance level confidence placed numerical projections long periods time inconsistent standards shortly established standards nuclear industry environmental public interest groups challenged standards court july district columbia circuit found favor agency counts year regulatory time frame court ruled year compliance period isolation radioactive waste consistent recommendations short report recommended standards set time peak risk approach period million years limiting compliance time years respect statutory requirement develop standards consistent recommendations rule published final rule new rule limits radiation years closes regulatory time frame dose standards apply based number years time facility closed years retain final rule dose limit year protection level stringent radiation regulations today million years established dose limit year rule requires safely contain considering effects earthquakes volcanic activity climate change container million years current analysis indicates cause year public dose years geology formation makes created large volcano composed alternating layers non semi surround burial sites expected protect human health provides natural barrier radiation lies transition great basin volcanic fractured movement water waste primarily usually confined individual layers faults extend planned storage area way water table surface future water transport surface waste containers likely dominated evidence surface water transported tunnel years site opponents assert predicted failure waste containers cracks provide route movement radioactive waste water flowing downward desert surface officials state waste containers stored way minimize nearly eliminate possibility area received rain past water table consequently higher today level earthquakes nevada ranks fourth nation current seismic activity earthquake provide current historical earthquake information analysis available data indicates seismic events magnitude greater mile radius stated seismic effects natural systems significantly affect performance lies region ongoing rates slow significantly affect mountain year regulatory compliance period rises water table caused seismic activity tens meters reach fractured volcanic comprises reflects occurrence earthquake strong ground motion events million years characteristics rock changed significantly seismic events occur years engineered barrier system components reportedly provide substantial protection waste water severe seismic loading september discovered bow ridge fault line ran underneath facility hundreds feet east originally thought located beneath storage pad spent radioactive fuel cooled sealed maze tunnels discovery required structures moved feet east drew criticism head argues administrators known fault line location years prior called movement structures time engineering june major nuclear equipment supplier criticized safety plan handling containers radioactive waste buried proposed dump concern earthquake nuclear waste material awaiting burial sent chaotic melee bouncing rolling transportation waste nuclear waste planned shipped site rail truck robust containers known spent nuclear fuel shipping approved routes nevada public states planned routes dates times transport secret security reasons state tribal representatives notified shipments spent nuclear fuel enter jurisdictions nevada routes nevada planned primary mode transportation rail corridor corridor starts nevada traveling northern western borders approximately miles point turns south options considered included rail route corridor rail route originated fort churchill siding rail line near proposed corridor proceeded southeast blair junction oasis valley rail line turned north northeast use rail corridor required permission order cross land miles proposed corridor owned additional permission granted impacts early 1960s safely conducted shipments spent nuclear fuel harmful release radioactive material safety record comparable worldwide experience metric tons spent nuclear fuel transported approximately equal total spent nuclear fuel shipped cities concerned transport radioactive waste highways railroads passed heavily populated areas transportation adviser state nevada stated transportation high level waste heavily affect cities like buffalo cleveland pittsburgh chicago metropolitan area coming south heaviest impacts atlanta nashville kansas_city moving salt_lake_city downtown las_vegas cities affected rail shipments hand stated think general understanding hazardous materials country understanding federal government knows safely cultural impact archaeological surveys found evidence native americans immediate vicinity temporary seasonal basis native americans disagree conclusions archaeological investigators ancestors highly mobile groups hunter occupied area began area surveying believe conclusions traditional accounts farming occurred european contact surrounding lands central lives western peoples shared religious ceremonies resource uses social events nash wrote song don dig protesting environmental issues associated project delays obama administration attempting close despite current law nation nuclear waste administration agency began implementation president plan gone administration closure plan state congressional entities attempted challenge administration closure plans statute court recently august decision told obama administration approve reject application completed waste storage site nevada simply plans closure violation law united_states secretary energy stated table going saying let step realize know lot today years ago saying dry storage current sites safe decades gives time figure long term strategy assembling blue ribbon panel look issue looking high energy spectrum actually allow burn long lived waste fast resurgence hybrid solutions fusion fusion energy creates high energy burn long lived waste mind economical reason think pulling potential fuel cycle imagine depends blue ribbon panel says imagine certain classification certain type waste don want access anymore means use different sites salt salt stable million year time scale trouble type places don access anymore certain types waste don want access anymore good natural waste inherent value let years years high likelihood come want recover real thing let wise heads figure want deal interim long term storage supposed everybody think knowing know today going regional areas found failure perform contractual requirements cost billion estimate liability raised billion july house_of_representatives voted amendments roll vote budget house_of_representatives voted twice energy water debate majority reject elimination nation nuclear waste solution april state washington filed suit prevent closing slow efforts clean south_carolina location site joined washington district columbia circuit dismissed suit july saying ruled withdrawal license application washington south_carolina filed lawsuit july billion received power companies fund project billion spent study build federal government billion left including interest march senator introduced bill requiring money given customers remainder companies storage improvements august ordered approve reject application completed waste storage site nevada court opinion said simply law previous action allow obama administration continue plans close proposed waste site federal law designating nation nuclear waste remains effect court opinion stated president decline follow statutory mandate prohibition simply policy objections pop culture film dinosaur eggs hatch inside havoc facility ultimately suffers failure explodes american science fiction monster film waste store mysterious radioactive pod revealed egg enormous monster escapes causes havoc monster movie tradition
Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository