What is Yucca
Mountain?
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.
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.
What is EPA’s
role?
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.
How did EPA develop the
standards?
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.
When will the Yucca
Mountain repository open?
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.
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.
How can I get a copy of
EPA's final standards?
- You can download them from EPA's Yucca
Mountain Laws and
Regulations Page in pdf
format.
- Call EPA's toll-free Yucca Mountain
Information Line:
800.331.9477. Register your request,
along with your name and complete mailing address. We'll send the
standards to you.
- Visit EPA's Air Docket, Docket No.
A-95-12:
Waterside Mall, Room M1500
401 M
Street, SW
Washington, DC
(Phone:
202.260.7548)
- Visit one of our two information file
locations in Nevada:
- UNLV's Lied Library
Government
Publications Section
(Phone: 702.895.2200)
- Amargosa Public
Library
Amargosa Valley
(Phone: 775.372.5340)
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