Nevada, where memories of the Yucca Mountain saga still linger, will not seek to host one of the Department of Energy’s state lifecycle hubs, a state official told Exchange Monitor Monday.
In an emailed statement to the Monitor, Fred Dilger, executive director of the Nevada Agency of Nuclear Projects, said the state will not respond to the request for information (RFI).
Dilger cited the federal government’s previous efforts to make Yucca Mountain a permanent repository as the chief reason for passing up the RFI.
“The Yucca Mountain site was never safe, and the nation needs a new nuclear waste disposal site,” Dilger said.
DOE’s solicitation, published Jan. 28, seeks to gauge states’ interest in hosting a nuclear lifecycle campus that could include fuel fabrication, uranium enrichment and waste disposal. Responses for the RFI are due April 1.
The Nevada Commission on Nuclear Projects, which oversees the Nevada Agency for Nuclear Projects, applauded President Donald Trump’s administration in a Jan. 29 press statement for its selection process process. The collaboration-based siting approach is akin to the “consent-based” process followed by the Joe Biden administration.
The state commission said the administration’s plans reaffirm Nevada’s view that Yucca Mountain is not a viable option for disposal.
“For decades, Nevada has led the fight against Yucca Mountain, due to its scientific, geological, and logistical flaws, including seismic risks, water contamination threats, and transportation hazards that could endanger communities across the nation,” the Nevada Commission said. “The Trump administration’s RFI reinforces the need for a science-based, consent-driven approach to nuclear waste management.”
The Nevada Commission on Nuclear Projects was created in 1985 to advise the governor and state legislators on matters related to radioactive waste and other nuclear activities.
The Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1987 effectively said Yucca Mountain would be the designated U.S. repository for nuclear waste. After years of political battles, President Barack Obama’s administration cancelled funding for the Yucca Mountain project