Nuclear industry advised to hush up about Yucca

An article in the latest issue of Nuclear Waste reveals that the nuclear industry is being advised to go silent on the failed Yucca Mountain proposed radioactive waste dump site and "repackage its message" including to "stop talking about the proposed Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository altogether." The article quoted Pat Cavanaugh, legislative director to Rep. Mike Doyl (D-Pa) as telling the industry to focus its message on "zero emissions and green jobs" and to disengage from the "yes-toYucca, no-toYucca fight."

Mad Science. Newsweek's Daren Brisco claims Yucca Mountain dump is "sound science" but the facts say otherwise

In the December 1 issue of Newsweek, under the utterly misleading banner "Project Green", writer Daren Briscoe urges president-elect Obama not to cancel the Yucca Mountain radioactive waste dump, claiming that "sound science already comes down firmly on the side of Yucca Mountain." Clearly, Briscoe did not research the actual science itself which has identified numerous technical problems with the site. The Institute for Energy and Environmental Research lists the many technical and scientific problems at Yucca.

Up, up and away as Yucca price soars

The price tag for the proposed high-level radioactive waste dump at Yucca Mountain, NV, continues to rise with new estimates announced on August 5 topping $96.2 billion. The Department of Energy's director of nuclear waste programs, Ward Sproat, released the new estimates, up from the $57.5 billion cost projected in 2001. Sproat said he based the new figures on an assumption that the 77,000-ton Yucca capacity would be too small and should be expanded to 122,000 tons of waste. At the current capacity and with continued nuclear waste generation, the Yucca dump, if opened, would be full by 2010. (Photo of Yucca sweatlodge by Gabriela Bulisova).

NRC dockets Energy Dept. Yucca Mountain dump application

With breakneck speed, NRC has rubberstamped DOE's half-baked application for permission to construct and operate a high-level radioactive waste dump at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. Once NRC's docketing decision hits the Federal Register, likely in about two to three weeks, the State of Nevada and any other opponents to the Yucca dump will then have a mere 60 days to submit intervention contentions to NRC. The NRC proceeding will last for three to four years. If elected president, Barack Obama has pledged to withdraw the Yucca license application. John McCain, who has consistently voted in favor of the Yucca dump, has recently indicated the dump may not be needed after all. 

DOE files final Yucca dump application; Obama, if elected, could kill project

Culminating a more than 25-year-long site selection process, on June 3, 2008 DOE applied to NRC for a construction and operating license for the national high-level radioactive waste repository targeted at geologically unsuitable land at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. While John McCain supports the proposed dumpsite, Barack Obama opposes it.