US Government 101

Currently, the US stores spent nuclear fuel and low-level waste on-site. The problem is the plants are running out room. 75,000 metric tons of spent nuclear fuel are stacked up at 122 temporary sites in 39 states. The majority of this is being stored in pools with circulating water. This is to prevent a critical mass that would result in a fire and release of large quantities of radioactivity into the environment. A natural disaster, like an earthquake or tsunami, could theoretically damage the pumps that keep the cool water cycling. Waste disposal was the cause of much of the radiation release at Fukushima. The waste also costs plant operators millions of dollars, which gets passed onto consumers. For safety and economic reasons, we need to deal with this waste.

97% of the fuel could be reprocessed and reused in a nuclear power plant, but the US lacks this technology. Additionally, fast breeder reactors are even more efficient at processing nuclear fuel and can burn almost all of it. Unfortunately, we stopped development of breeder reactors in 1983.

We have a solution - Yucca Mountain. $9 billion of taxpayers' money and 25 years of researcher were invested in researching the site for nuclear waste disposal. That site was Yucca Mountain. This was all cancelled, likely due to a favor from President Obama to Senator Harry Reid.

This is Yucca Mountain:


Yucca is not exactly a tourist mecca. It is in the middle of nowhere. If you have ever driven through Nevada, you will know that the majority of the state is endless deserts, a gas station every 30 miles, a smattering of desert towns and a bunny ranch.

There are basically two areas in Nevada - Vegas and little Vegas (Reno):

• Nevada's population: 2,700,551
• Las Vegas Metro: 1,951,269
• Reno Metro: 523,678

Source: http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/32/32510.html

Leaving 225,604 people scattered in ~110,561 square miles in the rest of the state. That is roughly 2 lonely people/square mile. It is a desert.

Let us be practical and start helping this economy along. Every technology has its cost. Fossil fuel-based power plants reportedly kill 13,000 Americans every year, solar & wind cost at least four times as much when you factor in efficiencies/operating costs, nuclear is the least expensive technology with minimal risks demonstrated over 60 years of use. It is time for America to start thinking logically.