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The U.S. Department of Energy has
selected the Caliente Rail Corridor
as the future rail route for spent
nuclear fuel and high level radioactive
waste traveling within Nevada to
reach a repository at Yucca Mountain
(see the Record of Decision and the
Federal Register notice). If the
repository is licensed, shipments
could begin as early as 2017. This
opening date of 2017 is a "best-achievable
schedule" and is predicated upon
enactment of new legislation.
The 319-mile corridor travels northwest from Caliente for 200 miles, skirting the northern and western edges of the Nevada Test Site before turning south toward Lathrop Wells to reach Yucca Mountain (see map). The one-mile wide corridor will eventually be narrowed to approximately 200 feet. The initial added width provides flexibility for addressing environmental impacts and engineering specifics.
Beginning in 2004, the Department began developing an Environmental Impact
Statement on the specific railway alignment within the corridor. This EIS,
in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act, will consider alternative
alignments within the Caliente corridor for construction of a rail line. No
actual construction of a rail line within the selected corridor can take place
until completion of the EIS process, which is expected to take several years.
The first step in the EIS process was to obtain public comments on the scope of the EIS (called scoping). Scoping provides the public with the opportunity to identify specific issues and resources to be considered when developing an EIS. In this case, specific comments will help determine the exact alignment of the rail line within the mile-wide Caliente corridor.
The department sought public input about the cultural resources, land uses, natural resources, paleontology, plants, animals, and other environmental considerations within the Caliente corridor region. In addition the department invited comments on such items as whether additional alternatives should be considered, whether additional natural and human resources should be considered, and whether the department should allow private entities to ship commercial commodities on its rail line.
The public was invited to either submit comments to a court reporter at one of three public workshops, complete an online form at this web site, or send comments by mail or fax. The public comment period ended June 1, 2004.
Final Environmental Impact Statement for a Geologic Repository for the Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel and High-Level Radioactive Waste at Yucca Mountain, Nye County, Nevada - (HTML) (PDF )
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