Dept. of Energy Submits Application for First U.S. Nuclear Waste Site at Yucca Mountain

The Department of Energy today submitted an application to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission for what would be the nation’s first repository for spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste.

The site would be located under Yucca Mountain, 90 miles from Las Vegas.

The 8,600 page application was several years in the making according to the department, which also said over 20 years of scientific analysis have been conducted to determine whether the proposed facility will be safe as a permanent disposal site for nuclear waste.

The department touted the submission as progress for nuclear energy in the U.S. “Submittal of the Yucca Mountain license application will further encourage the expansion of nuclear power in the United States, which is absolutely critical to our energy security, environmental goals, and national security,” Secretary of Energy Samuel Bodman said today in a release.

The politically charged Yucca Mountain proposal has seen support and opposition from both sides of the aisle. See DoE’s release here.