Plan for nuclear waste dump in Nevada close to meltdown

[seemslikeadream]

Setbacks bring push for other options

By Erica Werner
Associated Press
Published March 27, 2005

...

About 55,000 tons of commercial reactor fuel and 16,000 tons of high-level defense waste are waiting for transport at sites in 39 states. The government, which originally promised nuclear utilities it would begin accepting their spent fuel in 1998, is facing the potential of billions of dollars in damages for failing to make good on that pledge.

Damages against the government are estimated at up to $3 billion if the Yucca Mountain site opens in 2010, 12 years after the government's contractual obligation to start storing the nation's nuclear waste, Garrish told lawmakers. Damages could be $1 billion a year after that.

The Justice Department settled a suit with Chicago-based electric utility Exelon Corp. in August for a sum that could rise to $600 million if the storage site does not open until 2015. Other suits are moving forward, including one by the Sacramento Municipal Utility District in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims.

...

The Energy Department has estimated the total cost of the Yucca project at $58 billion, but critics say it could rise much higher. President Bush's 2006 budget request for the project was $651 million-- about half what the Energy Department envisioned.

more
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0503270412mar27,1,4149411.story?coll=chi-newsnationworld-hed&ctrack=1&cset=true

[bemildred]

1. Boy, we need to get Tom DeLay on this right away ... nt

[mike_c]

2. Tom DeLay is too toxic even for Yucca Mtn....

The only safe place to bury him is probably deep within an oceanic subduction zone, but even that runs the risk of doing permanent damage to the Earth's core.

[Mr.Green93]

3. Maybe now

we can shut down this vile technology for good.

[megatherium]

8. Actually, the industry is gearing up for a revival.

They're applying for licenses to build new plants; these will probably be under construction by 2010.

We get most of our electricity from three sources: coal (50%), nuclear (20%) and natural gas (also 20% or so). Natural gas is an ideal fuel for generating electricity, but it is now in short supply. Renewables are deemed to be of limited availability (wind, hydro) or too expensive (solar). They also claim there's not much more wiggle room for conservation (appliances are much more efficient than they were two decades ago).

So the industry is expecting the electrical utilities, and the public, to cotton to nuclear. Their argument boils down to: coal or nuclear. Unless the public demands investment in renewables, this is exactly the choice we will have. People expect the light to come on when they turn the switch. If the lights ever don't come on, you can expect unbearable political pressure to do something about it, to expand baseline capacity, and nuclear will be fine by the public when this happens. Demand is steadily increasing, so this will happen.

[struggle4progress]

4. kick

[OneBlueSky]

5. maybe they can turn it into a SUV/Hummer dump . . .

when gas reaches $5 a gallon, you won't be able to give those things away . . .

[Theduckno2]

6. The energy companies have got it good,

They get numerous tax breaks while earning substantial profits. Yet when the Government doesn't have the storage site ready, they get to sue for even more of our money (or as Bush likes to call it "your money" when giving tax breaks to the wealthy). By the way, didn't a panel just recommend building nuclear plants? Please don't put DeLay on it, he'll be in your garden tomorrow morning with a shovel.

[Richard Steele]

7. You beat me to it!

It's all OUR money...when things go according to plan, they get million$ of our money.

And when the plan is crap...They get hundreds of millions MORE of OUR money!

These things USED TO BE "Public Utilities"; nowadays, they're just one more win/win more formula for the uber-wealthy FascistCorp types who run this country.

P.S.: Welcome to DU.

[bobthedrummer]

9. Welcome to DU, Theduckno2.

You're spot on about the energy biz.
:hi: