Yucca Mountain: Policy, progress, and politics

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management is continuing its studies of Yucca Mountain, Nevada, to determine the mountain's suitability for isolating high level nuclear waste. As mandated by the Congress of the United States in the Nuclear Waste Policy Act as amended in 1987, DOE is studying the rocks, climate, and water table at Yucca to ensure the site is suitable before building a repository 305 meters underground. To maintain a balanced and diversified energy mix, which includes the use of nuclear energy, the environmental burden of disposing of the radioactive spent fuels needs to be solved. Challenges faced by DOE in characterizing Yucca Mountain are numerous: adamant opposition by elected leaders of Nevada; intense media attention from newspapers, television, and radio; complex science, particularly in the specialized branches of geology; detailed procedures and record keeping; and an uncertain budget from year to year.