History Of The Nuclear Waste Program
In 1982, Congress established a national policy to solve the problem of nuclear waste disposal.
This policy is a federal law called the Nuclear Waste Policy Act. Congress based this policy on what most scientists worldwide agreed is the best way to dispose of nuclear waste.
The Nuclear Waste Policy Act made the U.S. Department of Energy responsible for finding a site, building, and operating an underground disposal facility called a geologic repository.
Sites Considered
In 1983, the U.S. Department of Energy selected nine locations in six states for consideration as potential repository sites. This was based on data collected for nearly 10 years. The nine sites were studied and results of these preliminary studies were reported in 1985.
Based on these reports, the president approved three sites for intensive scientific study called site characterization. The three sites were Hanford, Washington; Deaf Smith County, Texas; and Yucca Mountain, Nevada.
In 1987, Congress amended the Nuclear Waste Policy Act and directed U.S. Department of Energy to study only Yucca Mountain.
On July 9, 2002, the U.S. Senate cast the final legislative vote approving the development of a repository at Yucca Mountain.
On July 23, 2002, President Bush signed House Joint Resolution 87, allowing the DOE to take the next step in establishing a safe repository in which to store our nation's nuclear waste.
On June 3, 2008, the DOE submitted a license application to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission seeking authorization to build the repository.
The Yucca Mountain Project is currently focused on preparing for the NRC's licensing proceedings.
