Regulators issuing draft report on Nevada nuclear dump plan
Source: Associated Press
A key study in a series leading to licensing hearings for the long-stalled Yucca Mountain national nuclear waste dump in Nevada finds what the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is calling a small chance that radioactive contamination could get into the environment.
A Nevada state official said Friday he'll challenge the NRC findings about the proposed Yucca Mountain project on technical and legal grounds.
"They're saying that the impacts are small," Nevada Agency for Nuclear Projects chief Bob Halstead said. "From my review of the document, I'm skeptical that they have complied with the requirement that they imposed on the Energy Department in 2008" to update an initial 2002 environmental impact report.
The commission announced Thursday that it'll post its draft supplement to the document, called the Yucca Mountain Environmental Impact Statement, on Aug. 21 in the Federal Register. It plans meetings next month in Maryland, Las Vegas and Nye County before issuing a final document early next year.
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Read more: http://www.pennenergy.com/articles/pennenergy/2015/08/regulators-issuing-draft-report-on-nevada-nuclear-waste-dump-plan.html
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From 1946 to 1970, the sea around the Farallones was used as a nuclear dumping site for radioactive waste under the authority of the Atomic Energy Commission at a site known as the Farallon Island Nuclear Waste Dump. Most of the dumping took place before 1960, and all dumping of radioactive wastes by the United States was terminated in 1970. By then, 47,500 55 gallon steel drum containers had been dumped in the vicinity, with a total estimated radioactive activity of 14,500 Ci. The materials dumped were mostly laboratory materials containing traces of contamination. Much of the radioactivity had decayed by 1980.
44,000 containers were dumped at 37°37′N 123°17′W, and another 3,500 at 37°38′N 123°08′W.
Location shown on graphic does not match the lat and lon given for the two dumping sites. Lat and lon actually are further west by about 9 nm which places both sites off the continental shelf. This significantly changes the potential effects on the fishery and makes any mapping and recovery effort much harder.
The exact location of the containers and the potential hazard the containers pose to the environment are unknown. Attempts to remove the barrels would likely produce greater risk than leaving them undisturbed.
Waste containers were shipped to Hunters Point Shipyard, then loaded onto barges for transportation to the Farallones. Containers were weighted with concrete. Those that floated were sometimes shot with rifles to sink them.
In January 1951, the highly radioactive hull of USS Independence was scuttled in the area.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farallon_Islands#Nuclear_waste_dump
Sitting on a marine terrace, spitting distance from the ocean and with an active earthquake fault nearby. I'm selfish, but I'd prefer the casks parked underground in Nevada.
Rods are stored in water for five to seven years until they 'cool' enough to be placed in dry storage coffins casks
We'll transport the casks to the Sierra summit and roll them east. It may take five, or it may take ten, but they will ultimately make it to Nevada. NIMBY
