Yucca Mountain
Chronology
A brief chronology on the federal government's plans,
and Nevada's fight against, the development of a national
nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada.
1982 - Congress orders development of
a permanent national disposal site for waste from commercial
nuclear power reactors.
1986 - Government pledges to take responsibility
for commercial high-level nuclear wastes from commercial
power plants by 1998 and narrows potential sites to Nevada,
Texas and Washington state.
1987 - Congress designates Yucca Mountain
in Nevada as the only site to be considered for permanent
waste disposal.
1989 - Completion of a site is delayed
until 2010, missing the 1998 deadline.
1994 - Utilities sue the Energy Department
for violating its contractual obligation to accept waste
by 1998.
1995 - Federal court rules in favor
of utilities and says government is liable for damages
for not meeting deadline. Decision on extent of liability
still is pending.
2001 - Interim Energy Department report
finds no ``showstoppers'' in scientific review of Yucca
Mountain site. Estimated cost for construction, operation
and monitoring over 100 years is put at $58 billion.
2002 (January) - Energy Department concludes
Yucca Mountain ``scientifically sound ... technically
suitable'' for waste storage and approval to be recommended
to the president.
2002 (April) - Governor Kenny Guinn
of Nevada issues Notice of Disapproval of the designation
of Yucca Mountain in Nevada as the site for the nation’s
high- level nuclear waste repository. The notice says
in part: "The Department of Energy has so compromised
this project through years of mismanagement that Congress
should have
no confidence in any representation made by DOE about
either its purpose or its safety."
2002 (July) - US House of Representatives
and Senate votes for and President Bush signs into law
a bill overriding Nevada's veto of nuclear waste shipments.
Nevada leaders vow unity and continued fight.
2007 (March) Energy
Department makes legislative push for Yucca nuclear
dump
Associated Press
2010 (March) - Yucca Mountain foes hail historic
step to kill nuclear waste depository Las
Vegas Sun
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