AP Environmental Science

With democrats taking control of Congress this month, the disposal of nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain, Nevada will not likely happen. Communities such as Ventura, LA, and San Bernardino are glad that the nuclear waste will most likely not be shipped through their towns and into Yucca Mountain.

  Yucca Mountain site (Photo Credit: http://en.wikipedia.org)

Proponents of using Yucca Mountain as disposal grounds believe that “it is a secure alternative to storing waste at nuclear plants and hundreds of other sites around the country.”

The Yucca Mountain disposal site was originally planned to open in 1988; however, with major setbacks a hopeful projection dateof opening would in be 2017.

Opposite sides go back and forth with whether Yucca Mountain will become a nuclear waste disposal site; however, we will not really know until the legislation for one side or the other is enacted.

I think that somehow another disposal method needs to be developed. I don’t necessarily know if disposing of the nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain is the right thing; however, I do understand that the nuclear waste needs to be disposed off. Plus not only is it affecting the environment around Yucca Mountain, but what if the waste spills on its way to the site. That would be horrible, but I am sure that proponents would argue how unlikely it is that that would happen plus the containers would be safe, but it depends on your definition of safe.

Is the Yucca Dump Doomed? by: Lisa Friedman http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=11948