The topic is a bill in the House to establish several "interim storage sites for commercial nuclear waste." These sites would likely be in South Carolina, Washington, and Idaho.
But first, let's start with the actions of that nuclear mental misfit Edward Markey.
There is a need for these interim sites, mainly to isolate the more distributed repositories that are sitting near closed sites at this time. The safety of the fuel could be assured more easily at these sites. It would also lessen the costs of storage that the government has agreed to take on. Not to mention that they already took the money for the storage from the commercial plants. The costs of final storage can be expected to continue to rise. Especially since every crack pot anti-nuke group has to bring suit against movement of fuel or the storage facility at Yucca Mountain.
I can understand the concerns of the states about the fuel being left for prolonged periods in this interim storage. The argument being that once they are in interim storage, the pressure to get the final solution in place is relieved. The sites, Savannah River and Hanford, are already radioactive waste dumps, so the problem of storage isn't that big a deal.
And as usual you get the anti-nuke groups coming out with spin against Yucca Mountain.
But first, let's start with the actions of that nuclear mental misfit Edward Markey.
An attempt by Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass., to strip the bill of $10 million for the interim storage program failed 312-110, according to the AP.Yes, block out the funding of the bill that establishes the DOE's ability to form these storage sites. Anything else you want to do Markey? Require that the fuel is no longer radioactive before they move it? Ensure that no microbes will be disturbed in the transfers? This guy is a complete and utter moron.
There is a need for these interim sites, mainly to isolate the more distributed repositories that are sitting near closed sites at this time. The safety of the fuel could be assured more easily at these sites. It would also lessen the costs of storage that the government has agreed to take on. Not to mention that they already took the money for the storage from the commercial plants. The costs of final storage can be expected to continue to rise. Especially since every crack pot anti-nuke group has to bring suit against movement of fuel or the storage facility at Yucca Mountain.
I can understand the concerns of the states about the fuel being left for prolonged periods in this interim storage. The argument being that once they are in interim storage, the pressure to get the final solution in place is relieved. The sites, Savannah River and Hanford, are already radioactive waste dumps, so the problem of storage isn't that big a deal.
And as usual you get the anti-nuke groups coming out with spin against Yucca Mountain.
Glenn Carroll, coordinator of Georgians Against Nuclear Energy, said the waste could stay at Savannah River Site permanently because there's no clear plan of dealing with it."Yucca Mountain is a failure, but they haven't admitted it," she said.
Ah yes, its a failure when it hasn't even been used yet. This rhetoric is pathetic. Even if they set up Yucca Mountain as an interim style storage facility, it could easily satisfy the storage needs for a short term. I wonder what this group would propose we do with the facility since billions of dollars have already been invested in it. Or what they would suggest to do with all the nuclear waste stacking up. Obviously, they don't intend to ever allow it to be reprocessed for fuel. That would make too much sense. But can't have those nasty, highly controllable, ecologically non-polluting energy sources around. To dangerous. "REMEMBER CHERNOBYL!!!"
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