Why Yucca Mountain?
Many scientists think that Yucca Mountain, Nevada, has features
that may make it suitable for a nuclear waste repository. By
suitable, scientists mean the rock will keep the waste sufficiently
isolated for thousands of years so that the radioactive material
will pose about the same risk or less risk of health effects to the
public as that of unmined uranium ore. The physical characteristics
that might render Yucca Mountain a suitable site for waste disposal
include:
- its remote location and long distance from a large population
center--100 miles from Las Vegas, Nevada;
- its very dry climate--less than 6 inches of rainfall a year;
and
- its extremely deep water table--800 to 1,000 feet below the
level of the potential repository.
The unique combination of rock characteristics and the deep water
table lead many scientists to think that the site appears capable of
isolating the spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste.
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