The U.S. Department of Energy began studying Yucca
Mountain, Nevada, in 1978 to determine whether it
would be suitable for the nation's first long-term
geologic repository for spent nuclear fuel and high-level
radioactive waste. Currently stored at 131 sites
around the nation, these materials are a result
of nuclear power generation and national defense
programs.
On July 23, 2002, President Bush signed House Joint
Resolution 87, allowing the DOE to take the next
step in establishing a safe repository in which
to store our nation's nuclear waste. The Department
of Energy is currently in the process of preparing
an application to obtain the Nuclear Regulatory
Commission license to proceed with construction
of the repository.
Yucca Mountain is located in a remote desert on
federally protected land within the secure boundaries
of the Nevada Test Site in Nye County, Nevada. It
is approximately 100 miles northwest of Las Vegas,
Nevada. |
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