Yucca Mountain

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Yucca Mountain Nuclear Repository
By Tom Lee
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Location
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Yucca Mountain
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(No Transcript)
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Functions of the Repository

• It is supposed to store over 70,000 metric tons
  (150 million pounds) of nuclear and radioactive
  waste. The waste is currently stored in over 120
  sites over the country. In 2007, the Department
  of Energy announced its intent to double the
  size of Yucca Mountain Repository, storing up to
  135,000 metric tons of waste.
• Wastes that raise the most concern are
• Uranium-235 with half-life of 700 million years
• Long-lived fission products
• Technetium-99 with half-life of 220,000 years
• Iodine-129 with half-life of 17 million years
• Atomic number greater than 92
• Neptunium-237 with half-life of two million years
• Plutonium-239 with half life of 24,000 years

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Background

• Nuclear waste must be disposed of safely because
  they emit high-energy radiation that kills cells,
  causes cancers and genetic mutations, and causes
  death to individual exposed to large doses.
• The Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 requires
  the Department of Energy to locate a fail-safe
  underground disposal facility. The Department of
  Energy designated 9 potential sites and
  President Reagan approved 3 for further
  scientific study.
• In December, 1987, the act was amended to assign
  Yucca Mountain, Nevada as the only potential
  permanent repository. The Department of Energy
  was directed to only study this site, and the
  investment was estimated to be 12billions at
  the time.
• In 2002, the Secretary of Energy, Spencer
  Abraham, recommended Yucca Mountain to President
  Bush, which he approves. The state of Nevada
  vetoed the decision in April, 2002 but was
  overridden by the House and the Senate.

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Why Yucca Mountain

• Yucca Mountain has several layers of tuff, some
  welded. Welded tuff is believed to be suitable
  for entombing nuclear waste since it has very low
  porosity and permeability
• The storage area is 1000ft (300m) above the water
  table and more than 650ft below ground surface
• Tectonic deformation is too slow to affect the
  repository during the 10000 regulatory compliance
  period
• Rise in water table caused by tectonic activity
  is unlikely to reach the repository
• Characteristics of rock should not be changed by
  seismic events
• The eruptions that created Yucca Mountain
  occurred 12 million years ago, and the last
  eruption was 80000 years ago.

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Why not Yucca Mountain

• Strong opposition from the State of Nevada
  stating that Nevada has no nuclear power plants
• Water travels from the surface through fracture
  to the underground water tunnel and can do so in
  less than 50 years, a lot faster than initially
  believed
• Future climate cannot be predicted to 10000 years
• Bow Ridge fault line is right below the
  repository, contrary to the belief that it is
  hundreds of feet west of the repository

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(No Transcript)
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Current Situation
The Obama Administration has restricted the
budget to answer inquiries from the Nuclear
regulatory Commission. On Thursday March 5th,
2009, Secretary of Energy Steven Chu stated that
the Yucca Mountain is no longer an option for
nuclear waste storage. He further commented that
the over 60000 tons of nuclear waste can remain
in nuclear plants, while a new plan is developed.
McCain commented that the plan gives no assurance
on waste management. The budget has cut down
from 288 million to 197 million last year. The
Obama Administration proposes to dissolve the
Office of Civilian Waste Management which was
established in 1982 under the Nuclear Waste
Policy Act.
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Consequence

• Leave the country without a solution to nuclear
  waste management
• Waste the 10.4 billions that was spent since
  1983
• Tens of Billions of dollars are predicted to be
  spent in damage suits to store waste
• 22 billion that the nuclear industry paid to the
  Energy Department will have to be returned
• Nuclear Industry will not be able to build new
  plants

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Bibliography
http//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2b
/Nuclear_waste_locations_USA.jpg http//www.whiteh
ouse.gov/ http//www.chicagotribune.com/ http//ww
w.nytimes.com/ http//www.ocrwm.doe.gov/ http//ww
w.jstor.org/stable/1311766 http//www.nrc.gov/ htt
p//www.enviroliteracy.org/