Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
, after a nationwide search for an appropriate site
for the repository, three
In
finalists emerged based on the
geology of the available sites. One site was in Texas, the
home of George H. W. Bush, then Vice President of
the United States. The second was in the state of Wash-
ington, the home of Tom Foley, then Majority Leader
of the House of Representatives. Nevada had little polit-
ical clout at the time, and so, not surprisingly, was chosen.
Back when the site recommendations were made to the
Congress in
, it was thought that the volcanic tuff of
Nevada, the granite of Washington, and the salt of Texas
were roughly equal in their potential as sites for very
long-term isolation of spent fuel. Today we know better.
Volcanic tuff is the most dif
cult material to make secure
as a repository because water can penetrate it. Granite
(chosen by Finland and Sweden), alkaline clay (chosen by
France), and salt (chosen by the United States for military
material long-term storage) are the preferred materials.
What was surprising was that Nevada was to get nothing
for being the location of what Nevadans characterized as
the nation
ts
Nevada would receive were the few hundred jobs that
would go with operation of the repository. The state has
fought it ever since on any grounds it could, including that
the siting procedures were
'
s nuclear garbage dump. The only bene
awed, the R&D was not done
properly, the design was defective, and the radiation would
not be contained. Nevada now has one of its senators as the
Majority Leader of the US Senate, so it is now politically
strong where it was weak when the location of the reposi-
tory was decided. The administration of President Obama
has surrendered and announced that Yucca Mountain will
not be used. Is this a comedy or a tragedy? Your call.
