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Is Yucca mountain the best place to store nuclear waste?

Topics: Nuclear Energy Politics

Background

Yucca mountain, Nevada, is a site selected by the US Government as the single storage site for nuclear waste in the country. Despite extensive geological research, intense debate remains over whether the site is suitable. In the meantime, nuclear waste is building up at each of the 104 nuclear power stations throughout the country.

Implications

Expert Opinions

What's Your TakeOnIt?

Agree

Quote

Engineering Risk Consultant

In a situation where all the choices are bad, the risk is greater keeping the waste where it is [stockpiled at each nuclear power plant].

01 Nov 2004 Source

Agree

John McCain

U.S. Senator, Republican

My preference is that we store [nuclear waste]. I always thought that Yucca Mountain was the right place to do it... It's not a problem of technology. It's a problem of political will. We have now the worst of all worlds, because we have nuclear waste sites around every nuclear power plant in America, which provides us with the greatest challenge to our security so I would try and resolve it and I would try to go back and revisit the Yucca Mountain issue...

05 Dec 2007 Source

Disagree

Quote

United States Vice President Elect, Democrat

I have serious concerns not only about the long-term environmental and security problems inherent in storing nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain, but the very real dangers posed by shipping 77,000 tons of high-level nuclear waste through at least 43 states, including Delaware.

09 Jul 2002 Source

Disagree

Hillary Clinton

U.S. Senator, Democrat

There has been a great deal of confusion and stonewalling by the administration to finding appropriate, scientifically based information ... We need to get this information on the record and do everything we can to lay the groundwork to make it clear that we will not proceed with Yucca Mountain.

23 Jul 2007 Source

Disagree

Barack Obama

United States President 2009-

I will end the notion of Yucca Mountain because it has not been based on the sort of sound science that can assure people that they're going to be safe. ... I've been clear from the start that Yucca was a misconceived project.

15 Jan 2008 Source

Disagree

Harry Reid

Senator, Nevada, Democrat

It’s unfortunate that the Energy Department once again is refusing to let logic get in the way of building its nuclear waste dump at Yucca Mountain... The terrible risks of transporting nuclear waste is yet another reason that we need to stop the government from hemorrhaging any more money on this failed project. It’s time to keep Americans safe by keeping nuclear waste where it is.

25 Sep 2008 Source