Local leaders say closure of NV nuclear waste facility could hurt Tri-City environment
Courtesy New Scientist
Three Tri-Cities leaders have written a letter to President Obama, protesting the decision to terminate the Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste Project in Nevada.
Gary Petersen from TRIDEC, Bill Lampson from Lampson International, and Bob Ferguson, a former Department of Energy employee, wrote the letter.
They say hazardous waste from Hanford was scheduled to be transferred to Yucca Mountain for long-term storage.
The site's termination means that waste could stay stranded here.
They argue the change could raise significant environmental risks to the community as the Department of Energy has no plan 'B' for another storage facility.
The letter also announces intentions to file a lawsuit against the federal government for the closure.
One local representative says the threat is no surprise.
"There was a promise some 20 years ago that you would have a repository, and rate payers and tax payers have been paying that. And then to shut it off with no replacement in mind. I think lends itself to a lawsuit" said Representative Doc Hastings, (R) WA 4th District.
The letter says the Nuclear Waste Policy act requires the government to use the facility for permanent storage of hazardous waste.
And to give you some perspective, the three say the Hanford site is only one of 121 sites across the county that were relying on the Yucca Mountain Project for safe storage.
The Department of Energy says the President has established a bipartisan blue ribbon commission which is expected to create alternative safe, long-term solutions for used nuclear waste.