The Department of Energy is currently preparing
a license application for the nation's first-ever
repository for spent nuclear fuel and high-level
radioactive waste. Below is
information and background for reporters and
citizens.
Why do we need a national repository for spent
nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste?
The Nuclear Waste Policy Act is based on
the principle that our society is responsible
for safely disposing of the nuclear wastes
we create.
Read
More: The Nuclear Waste Policy Act
After over 20 years of research and billions
of dollars of carefully planned and reviewed
scientific field work, the Department of Energy
has found that a repository at Yucca Mountain
brings together the location, natural barriers,
and design elements most likely to protect
the health and safety of the public, including
those Americans living in the immediate vicinity,
now and long into the future.
Read
More: Site Recommendation
Specially designed and constructed buildings
will contain advanced equipment and radiation-shielding
features for receiving and preparing the waste
for disposal. Read
More: Repository Engineering and Design
The Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 requires
utilities which generate electricity using
nuclear power to pay a fee of one tenth of
one cent ($0.001) per kilowatt-hour into the
Nuclear Waste Fund.
Read
More: Budget and Funding
"For each year beyond 2017 that the repository’s
opening is delayed, the Department estimates
that U.S. taxpayers’ potential liability
to contract holders who have paid into the
Nuclear Waste Fund will increase by approximately
$500 million. This will be in addition to the
estimated current potential liability of approximately
$7.0 billion due to the Department’s
not beginning removal of spent nuclear fuel
in 1998 as required by contract." --
OCRWM Director Ward Sproat, testifying before
the U.S. House of Representatives. Read
More of Sproat's
testimony to Congress
DOE filed a license application with the
Nuclear Regulatory Commission on June 3, 2008 and is preparing for NRC licensing proceedings. Read
More: Repository licensing overview