Welcome:
Mineral County Yucca Mountain Oversight Program was created when the Nuclear Waste Policy Act as amended (NWPA), designated the Yucca Mountain site in Nevada as the only site to be considered for a geologic repository for disposal of spent fuel and high-level nuclear waste. The NWPA also provided for the Affected Units of Local Government (AULG) within the vicinity of Yucca Mountain to oversee and participate in the Yucca Mountain Project. By affording AULG participation rights, Congress sought to increase public confidence in the scientific integrity of the repository program, provide citizens the means to interact with the federal government, and demonstrate a commitment to external oversight.
Mineral County's programs on-going task and goals:
We review activities of:
- The Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Civilian Radiation Waste Management (OCRWM), Yucca Mountain Project (YMP),
- Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC),
- Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board (NWTRB),
- Advisory Committee on Nuclear Waste (ACNW), and;
- other related agencies to analyze any potential economic, social, public health and safety impacts the proposed repository might have on Mineral County residents under the Nuclear Waste Policy Act.
We continue to review and analyze project activities which include tracking national transportation routes and modes of transportation and any other transportation activities that have potential impacts to Mineral County residents and/or visitors regarding the possible shipment of high-level radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel through Mineral County along the U.S. 95 highway corridor.
We are conducting analysis with respect to property value impacts and other potential land use impacts that have probable economic and health and safety issues related to the DOE EIS supplemental for, and environmental impacts regarding high-level waste and spent nuclear fuel that may be shipped through Mineral County en route to Yucca Mountain. (Please see our publications page)
We are preparing optimal land use analyses utilizing the Mineral County’s GIS data that will incorporate findings of the risk perception and property value impacts regarding high-level waste and spent nuclear fuel that may be shipped by truck through Mineral County and provide this information to the Mineral County elected officials and the public.
Funding provided to Mineral County and all the Affected Units of Local Government (AULG) is paid by users of electricity generated by nuclear power plants. Under a general contract with nuclear generating utilities, the federal government collects a fee of one-mill (one-tenth a cent) per kilowatt-hour from utility companies for nuclear generated electricity. The money goes into the nuclear waste fund which is used to fund all program related activities.
Contact us:
Mineral County Nuclear Projects Office
Linda Mathias, Director
P.O. Box 1600
Hawthorne, NV 89415
- Click here for PDF brochure on
The future of Yucca Mountain
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission started in September to review an 8,600-page DOE application for a repository construction license.
It has not been made clear what the ramifications might be if that process is stopped in its tracks, for instance whether legislation might be needed to set a new course, and what would become of more than $20 billion set aside so far for construction.
During the presidential campaign that included a key early caucus in Nevada, Obama declared the selection of Yucca Mountain for long-term waste storage "has failed." He said nuclear waste should continue to be kept at reactor sites while policy-makers come up with a Plan B.
Critics say the geology of the mountain ridge 100 miles northwest of Las Vegas is unsuitable for safe storage of nuclear waste for periods that would stretch beyond tens of thousands of years.
Further, they say shipping the radioactive material to Nevada would invite accidents and possible attacks.
But others contend the Department of Energy strategy to place waste in corrosion-resistant containers within Yucca Mountain tunnels will meet federal safety standards for up to 1 million years.
As for transportation, DOE and nuclear industry officials point to a safety record for nuclear shipments going back 30 years.
Please see our news links for more information. NEWS
Contention submittals:
The Nevada Counties of Churchill, Esmeralda, Lander and Mineral filed joint contentions on December 19, 2008. As " Affected Units of Local Government" (AULG) and pursuant to the Nuclear Waste Policy Act, as amended. (42 U.S.c. §10247 et seq.) and pursuant to Nuclear Regulatory Commission Federal Register Notice Vol. 73, No. 205, dated October 22,2008, "any AULG seeking party status shall be considered a party to this proceeding, provided that it files at least one admissible contention in accordance with 10 CFR 2.309. An AULG need not address the standing requirements under that section."
Four counties petitions to intervene (due to large file sizes the petition is broken into 6 sections):
Remainder of the petitions can be viewed at trackhearings.com