Yucca Mountain is the Department of Energy’s
potential geologic repository designed to store and dispose
of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste.
If approved, the site would be the nation’s first geological
repository for disposal of this type of radioactive waste.
The
site is located in Nye County, Nevada, about 100 miles northwest
of Las Vegas. It is federally owned land on the western
edge of the Department of Energy’s Nevada Test Site.
The repository would be approximately 1,000 feet below the
top of the mountain and 1,000 feet above the ground water.
Below are answers to many questions commonly
asked about the repository and EPA's Role:
What types
of radioactive wastes are proposed for disposal at Yucca Mountain?
Spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste make
up most of the material to be disposed at Yucca Mountain.
About 90% of this waste is from commercial nuclear power
plants; the remaining is from defense programs. This waste
is currently stored at facilities in 43 states.
The Energy Policy Act of 1992 requires EPA to develop standards
specifically for the Yucca Mountain site. EPA's standards
are designed to protect the public and the environment from
exposure to the radioactive wastes that would be stored
in the repository.
How do EPA’s
final standards protect public health?
The final public health and environmental protection standards
for Yucca Mountain address all potential sources of exposure:
air, ground water, and soil. EPA designed the standards
to protect people living closest to the repository to a
level within the Agency's acceptable risk range for environmental
pollutants
The standards limit an individual's annual radiation exposure
from all pathways (ingestion, inhalation, physical contact,
etc.) to no greater than 15 millirem (a measure of the actual
biological effects of radiation absorbed in human tissue)
per year--roughly the radiation dose from three chest x-rays
per year. At this level, no more that 3 people in 10,000
have a lifetime risk of developing a fatal cancer.
Before the Yucca Mountain repository can open and accept
waste, the Department of Energy must demonstrate to the
Nuclear Regulatory Commission that it can meet the standards
both under normal conditions and also in the unlikely event
of "human intrusion" – if actions such as drilling
for water or other resources breach the waste containers.
In both situations, the public must not be exposed to more
than 15 millirem of radiation per year.
How do EPA's
final standards protect the environment?
The proposed repository sits above an aquifer that is an
important resource for the area surrounding Yucca Mountain.
The aquifer is being used as a source of drinking water,
as well as for irrigation for crops and farmland. In the
future, the aquifer could supply water to many more people
in the surrounding areas.
EPA believes that protecting the ground water at and around
Yucca Mountain is critical to preserving the quality of
the water for this and future generations. To provide this
protection, EPA’s groundwater standard for Yucca Mountain
is the same as that established under the Safe Drinking
Water Act for all U.S. drinking water supplies. That standard
is 4 millirem per year.
Before EPA developed the final standards, the Agency extensively
studied and conducted analyses to fully understand the complex
technical aspects of the Yucca Mountain repository. In 1995,
the National Academy of Sciences issued a report outlining
recommendations for EPA’s public health and environment
standards for the site. EPA asked the public and other radiation
experts for their comments on the NAS report. EPA also held
technical discussions with DOE and NRC and worked with the
President’s Office of Science and Technology Policy. In
addition, EPA considered other federal agencies’ actions,
other countries’ regulations, and guidance from national
and international organizations.
The earliest the proposed repository could open and begin
accepting waste is 2010. Before that can happen:
The Secretary of Energy must decide whether to recommend
to the President that Yucca Mountain be developed as a
nuclear waste repository.
If the Secretary of Energy makes such a recommendation,
the President must decide whether to recommend it to Congress.
If the President recommends developing Yucca Mountain
as a nuclear waste repository, the Nevada governor and
the legislature have the right to submit a "Notice
of Disapproval" to Congress.
Congress can override a disapproval notice and approve
the Yucca Mountain site, or concur with the notice and
disapprove the site.
If Congress approves the site (through a majority vote
of both houses), DOE must submit an application to the
NRC to construct the repository.
If the NRC approves the application, DOE will construct
the repository and apply to the NRC for a license to receive
radioactive waste.
NRC must determine that the site meets EPA’s public
health and environmental protection standards before issuing
the license.
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How would
the waste be transported to the repository?
DOE must meet Department of Transportation routing regulations
and guidelines before shipping any radioactive waste to
the Yucca Mountain repository.
The waste would be shipped in casks that are heavily shielded
to contain the radioactive waste. The casks are certified
by the NRC to withstand accidents, impact, puncture, and
exposure to fire and water.
DOE’s current plan is to transport the waste to Nevada
by truck and rail. Transportation routes would go through
43 states. Prior to transporting waste, the federal government
would work with state, local, and tribal governments to
develop emergency response plans.
The
site is located in Nye County, Nevada, about 100 miles northwest
of Las Vegas. It is federally owned land on the western
edge of the Department of Energy’s Nevada Test Site.
The repository would be approximately 1,000 feet below the
top of the mountain and 1,000 feet above the ground water.
