The Yucca Mountain Controversy


(Sacred Land Film Project)

"Yucca Mountain is a six-mile long, 1,200-foot high, flat-topped volcanic ridge about 80 miles northwest of Las Vegas. The U.S. Department of Energy plans to turn Yucca Mountain into the nation's first high-level nuclear waste repository, if a study finds the site safe. If the plan proceeds, 77,000 tons of hazardous radioactive materials from the 110 U.S. commercial nuclear power plants — 90 percent of which are east of the Mississippi River — and the government's nuclear weapons complex will be entombed at Yucca Mountain. The wastes need to be contained for at least 10,000 years because of the extreme hazards to public health and the environment associated with these radioactive materials."

State of Nevada Nuclear Waste Project Office
Capitol Complex
Carson City, NV 89710
nwpo@govmail.state.nv.us e-mail

Where is Yucca Mountain Located?


(State of Nevada Nuclear Waste Project)
Yucca Mountain is only 80 miles northwest of Las Vegas.




(Nuclear Energy Institute)
For more pictures and diagrams like this Click Here.


Opposition to Yucca Mountain (State of Nevada Nuclear Waste Project)

Many people are opposed to Yucca Mountain, especially those who live in Nevada because it directly affects them and the surrounding environment. One specific group that this proposed project will directly affect is the Native Americans living on this land. According to a recent survey, a total of 8,203 Indian peoples are living in Clark county, the county where the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste site would be located (Stoffle, 257).

The State's Position:
-Much evidence shows that Yucca Mountain is not safe for nuclear waste disposal in that it is geologically and hydrologically active and complex.
-Radioactive substances could leak from the dump and create serious long-term health risks to the citizens of Nevada.
-Large-scale radioactive releases could occur through a variety of possible scenarios caused by volcanos, earthquakes or hydrothermal activity at Yucca Mountain.
-Accidents happen. Nuclear waste transportation could result in accidents harmful to Nevada's and the nation's citizens and seriously hurt Nevada's image as an attractive place to visit, live, or locate a business.
-There are no back-up or alternative sites being evaluated along with Yucca Mountain; thus, there are no other sites for comparison.
(State of Nevada Nuclear Waste Project)

This is a website that gives many facts about Yucca Mountain.
Facts


Nuclear Waste Routes

This map of the United States shows some of the possible routes that the nuclear waste will be shipped on. The state of Ohio has many transportation routes that the nuclear waste will be shipped on.


(State of Nevada Nuclear Waste Project)

Blue indicates roads and red indicates railroads.
(State of Nevada Nuclear Waste Project)


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This page last updated March 27, 2002.