“End Nuclear Insanity Before Nuclear Insanity Ends Humanity”
MAY 09, 2024
A mining machine excavates alcoves and niches for exploratory scientific testing in September 2013 at Yucca Mountain. Thousands of studies of the site’s geology, hydrology, chemistry and climate to determine Yucca Mountain’s suitability as the nation’s first repository for commercial spent nuclear fuel. The project has stalled since the Obama administration attempted to withdraw the license application of the Yucca Mountain project in 2010. (Credit: US Energy Department, via Flickr)
LLAW’s NUCLEAR ISSUES & COMMENTS, Wednesday, (05/08/2024)
This story from “The Bulletin” is not included in the TODAY’S NUCLEAR WORLD’S NEWS below, but is an April 30 article about the never-ending ridiculous political argument to allow the long ago proposed Yucca Mountain nuclear waste storage site to be approved. This fight has been going on since the 1980s and anyone who cares knows that Yucca Mountain is just about the last place on earth that such a geologically faulted place is okay for nuclear waste disposal. The reason I am posting it here this evening is because I have followed the ridiculous history of this political insanity for more than 40 years, not just the few that the article indicates, and like the headline for the story says, Congress needs to “stop trying to revive Yucca Mountain.” ~llaw
To find a place to store spent nuclear fuel, Congress needs to stop trying to revive Yucca Mountain
By David Klaus | April 30, 2024
A mining machine excavates alcoves and niches for exploratory scientific testing in September 2013 at Yucca Mountain. Thousands of studies of the site’s geology, hydrology, chemistry and climate to determine Yucca Mountain’s suitability as the nation’s first repository for commercial spent nuclear fuel. The project has stalled since the Obama administration attempted to withdraw the license application of the Yucca Mountain project in 2010. (Credit: US Energy Department, via Flickr)
A recent congressional hearing strangely resembled the film Groundhog Day. The hearing—titled “American Nuclear Energy Expansion: Spent Fuel Policy and Innovation”—not only rekindled a decades-old debate about whether to recycle spent nuclear fuel from reactors; it also provided a platform to relive yet again the fantasy that somehow the US government can resolve all of the political, legal, and technical issues necessary to build a permanent nuclear waste storage facility at Yucca Mountain, Nevada.
The Republican leadership of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce clearly supported one path forward for commercial spent fuel. In her opening remarks, committee chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers, a Republican from Washington state, urged the committee to “update the law and build state support for a permanent repository at Yucca Mountain.” In his own opening remarks, Jeff Duncan, a South Carolina Republican and chair of the subcommittee hosting the hearing, lamented that “[u]nfortunately, the political objections of one state, NOT based on scientific reality, blocked the [Yucca Mountain] repository from being licensed and constructed.” Yucca Mountain was a recurrent theme in witness testimony and congressional questioning throughout the hearing.
But to really advance federal policy and innovation on spent nuclear fuel, Congress needs to learn the lessons of Yucca Mountain and to stop trying to revive it.
In the 2020 presidential campaign, Donald Trump and Joe Biden agreed there shouldn’t be an underground repository to permanently store nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain in Nevada, and that it was time for everyone else to accept that the project was finally off the table. As was the case four years ago, it is very unlikely the next administration, be it led by President Biden or President Trump, is going to reverse its position and attempt to revive a multibillion-dollar infrastructure project that has been dormant for over a decade.
Even if support were to emerge at the federal level, attempting to obtain permits for the facility would create an extraordinary legal and regulatory morass. The state of Nevada alone had filed over 200 objections to the Yucca Mountain construction and operating permits that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) was considering before the process for considering them was suspended in 2011.
If the process were revived and those objections (or contentions, in NRC terminology) were somehow adjudicated in favor of the project, the state and other opponents would turn their attention to required NRC certification of transportation casks, emergency plans, evacuation routes, safety procedures, and operator training programs. Beyond these requirements, the project would have to acquire rights-of-way for the construction of an approximately 300-mile-long railroad and obtain a certification from the US Environmental Protection Agency of compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act and radiation-protection standards, as well as a host of other state and local approvals. Underlying these legal, regulatory, and political challenges are significant—and yet unresolved—technical issues associated with the repository design and the challenge of placing spent nuclear fuel canisters into a fractured rock formation located over a critical aquifer.
ABOUT THE FOLLOWING ACCESS TO “LLAW’S ALL THINGS NUCLEAR” RELATED MEDIA:
There are 6 categories, including a bonus non-nuclear category for news about the Yellowstone caldera and other volcanic and caldera activity around the world that play an important role in humanity’s lives, as do ‘all things nuclear’ for you to pick from, usually with up to 3 links in each category about the most important media stories in each category, but sometimes fewer and occasionally even none (especially so with the Yellowstone Caldera). The Categories are listed below in their usual order:
- All Things Nuclear
- Nuclear Power
- Nuclear Power Emergencies
- Nuclear War
- Nuclear War Threats
- Yellowstone Caldera (Note: There are three Yellowstone Caldera bonus stories available in tonight’s Post.)
Whenever there is an underlined link to a Category media news story, if you press or click on the link provided, you no longer have to cut and paste to your web browser, since this Post’s link will take you directly to the article in your browser.
A current Digest of major nuclear media headlines with automated links is listed below by nuclear Category (in the above listed order). If a Category heading does not appear in the daily news Digest, it means there was no news reported from this Category today. Generally, the three best articles in each Category from around the nuclear world(s) are Posted. Occasionally, if a Post is important enough, it may be listed in multiple Categories.
TODAY’S NUCLEAR WORLD’S NEWS, Wednesday, (05/08/2024)
All Things Nuclear
NEWS
Letter: There are no winners in war – The Portland Press Herald
The Portland Press Herald
… nuclear weapon use are on the rise. AI-controlled weapons are coming. Widespread death is all but guaranteed unless humans [ … Things to Do · All …
UN Nuclear Agency Chief Reveals What Was Found At Iran Facility In Isfahan During IAEA Checks
YouTube
EAM Jaishankar talks Canada’s gang wars, political hitjobs & all things ‘Anti-India’ | ET Roundtable. The Economic Times New 46K views · 10: …
Russia warns Britain and plans nuclear drills over the West’s possible deepening role in Ukraine
Jefferson City News Tribune
… about issues regarding nuclear weapons more and more recently. “Current nuclear risks are at an alarmingly high level,” Dujarric said. “All …
Nuclear Power
NEWS
Holtec Aims to Lead a US Nuclear Power Renaissance – Bloomberg
Bloomberg.com
Holtec got its start making storage casks for radioactive waste. Now it wants to power the next generation of US nuclear reactors—and it’s …
France’s Next-gen Nuclear Reactor Gets Green Light | Barron’s
Barron’s
France’s nuclear safety regulator on Tuesday gave the green light for a next-generation EPR nuclear reactor in Normandy to be put into service, …
Ukraine war latest: Russia ‘developing nuclear power plant’ for joint moon base with China
Sky News
Meanwhile, Moscow fired some 50 missiles and 20 drones at Ukrainian energy infrastructure overnight. Wednesday 8 May 2024 08:22, UK. LIVE …
Nuclear War
NEWS
The world must reject Russia’s nuclear posturing – but not ignore the danger – The Guardian
The Guardian
This underscores yet again that Vladimir Putin considers these weapons fair game in this war. To be sure, tactical nuclear weapons – sometimes …
US Supplying Missiles to Ukraine Triggered Tactical Nuke Drills: Moscow – Newsweek
Newsweek
“Putin is reminding people that Russia has nuclear weapons and they should think very carefully before getting directly involved in the war in Ukraine …
Russian nuke exercises: Would Russia really attack Ukraine? – DW
DW
For the first time since the invasion, Russia wants to carry out tactical nuclear weapons exercises near the Ukrainian border.
Nuclear War Threats
NEW
NATO Leader Mocks Putin’s Nuclear Threat, Says Ready To Send Troops To Ukraine – YouTube
YouTube
… nuclear threats. Lithuanian Prime Minister … NATO Leader Mocks Putin’s Nuclear Threat, Says Ready To Send Troops To Ukraine: Risking Open War?
Russia warns of nuclear weapon drills to ‘cool down’ West. Is it bluffing?
Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation
Erath said the continued threat of nuclear weapons makes it all the more critical to ensure Ukraine’s victory in the war. That includes ensuring …
Russian nuke exercises: Would Russia really attack Ukraine? – DW
DW
Western officials have repeatedly criticized Russian leadership for making nuclear threats. Putin has not openly threatened a nuclear strike, though …
Yellowstone Caldera
NEWS
The biggest volcano eruptions in recorded history – Yahoo Movies Canada
Yahoo Movies Canada
VEI-8 is a devastating explosive eruption every 50,000 years. The Yellowstone Caldera would reach this level if it were to erupt. Let’s all just keep …
Japan Sea, 60 km Northeast of Anamizu, Ishikawa, Japan, on Wednesday, May 8, 2024, at …
Volcano Discovery
… caldera, and Ijen in East Java. Yellowstone quakes · Yellowstone quakes · Latest earthquakes under Yellowstone volcano. List and interactive map of …
7 km SW of Volcano, Hawaii, on Monday, May 6, 2024, at 02:23 pm (Honolulu Time)
Volcano Discovery
List and interactive map of current and past earthquakes near Yellowstone volcano. Past Quakes · Past Quakes · Earthquake Archive Look up any …