WHAT IS YUCCA MOUNTAIN?

-HANNA SIEMONSMA & PEYTON EVANS

WHAT IS YUCCA MOUNTAIN?

• YUCCA MOUNTAIN IS A NUCLEAR WASTE REPOSITORY LOCATED ON A FEDERALLY OWNED DESERT ABOUT 100 MILES NORTHEAST OF LAS VEGAS, NEVADA.

WHAT IS YUCCA MOUNTAIN? (CONTINUED)

• DOE MADE A FIVE MILE TUNNEL THROUGH YUCCA MOUNTAIN TO CONDUCT STUDIES ON ITS CHARACTERISTICS.

• A SECOND TWO MILE “CROSS DRIFT’ TUNNEL WAS COMPLETED

• MOST STUDIED REAL ESTATE ON THE PLANET

HOW LONG HAS DOE BEEN WORKING ON YUCCA MOUNTAIN?

• THE DOE SELECTED THREE WESTERN SITES IN NEVADA, WASHINGTON, AND TEXAS IN 1986 FOR INVESTIGATION, ONE OF WHICH WAS YUCCA MOUNTAIN.

• CONGRESS AMENDED THE NUCLEAR WASTE POLICY ACT SINGLING OUT YUCCA MOUNTAIN AS THE ONLY LOCATION FOR THE DOE TO STUDY AS A NUCLEAR WASTE REPOSITORY IN 1987.

HOW MUCH IS SPENT ON YUCCA MOUNTAIN?

• DOE HAS SPENT MORE THAN 9 BILLION DOLLARS ON YUCCA MOUNTAIN.

WHAT ARE POTENTIAL PROBLEMS?• THERE IS LITTLE PRECIPITATION SO THERE ISN’T MUCH GROUND WATER

CONTAMINATION.

• ABLE TO WITHSTAND EFFECTS OF EARTHQUAKES AND OTHER NATURAL PROBLEMS WITH USE OF MODERN TECHNIQUES.

• VEHICLES MOVING NUCLEAR WASTE COULD BECOME TARGET FOR TERRORISTS SO THE DESIGNS OF THE VEHICLES HAVE TO BE CERTIFIED TO WITHSTAND A SERIES OF SEVER IMPACTS AND EXTREME CONDITIONS.

WHAT CAUSED YUCCA MOUNTAIN?

• A SERIES OF VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS OVER 80,000 YEARS AGO.

CITED SOURCES

• HTTP://WWW.CLARKCOUNTYNV.GOV/DEPTS/COMPREHENSIVE_PLANNING/NUCLEAR_WASTE/PAGES/FAQ.ASPX

• HTTP://WWW.POLLUTIONISSUES.COM/VE-Z/YUCCA-MOUNTAIN.HTML

• HTTP://EN.WIKIPEDIA.ORG/WIKI/YUCCA_MOUNTAIN