Legislation to urge the federal government to prohibit nuclear waste storage at Yucca Mountain is circulating in Nevada’s capitol.
Democratic Las Vegas Senator James Ohrenschall's Senate Joint Resolution (SJR4) aims to use use Yucca Mountain for renewable energy, instead of high level radio active waste and spent nuclear fuel.
“We've got an outstanding university 90 miles away from this site. I think there are plenty of possibilities where that site could be used for science, technology, renewable energy. And, the added benefit if that were to happen, for our state and for our fight against the storage of high-level radioactive waste, is that if those uses are being used there – I think it becomes and even less attractive site for the storage of high level radioactive waste should a new administration or new leadership in Congress suddenly look at Yucca Mountain again,” explained Senator James Ohrenschall (D-Las Vegas)
Ohrenschall says a 2011 study by the U.S. Government Accountability Office has identified alternative uses for Yucca Mountain, including for the development of geothermal energy, solar energy, wind energy storage, and a whole host of other renewable energy development and storage.
For decades Yucca Mountain has been a point of contention amongst Nevadans for environmental concerns related to storing nuclear waste there, wheter it’s geological, hydrological, or the face that the area is subject to seismic activity.
However, a former UNLV researcher says the environmental concerns are unfounded.
“I came to Nevada in 1997 and I'm a product of the funds that were sent to the University of Nevada Las Vegas as a result of Yucca Mountain. I got a Master's Degree doing hydrologic research on that project, and I happen to know from a purely hydrologic, scientific perspective that it's the safest place in the world to store nuclear waste. There is no doubt about that, and that's based on the best available science,” said former republican candidate for state assembly Jay Dixon.
Dixon says that the state is losing tremendous economic benefit by choosing to not store nuclear waste, but devoting the mountain to renewable energies is the next best option, and will also serve to generate economic revenue for the surrounding area.
According to CBS News in 2019, more than $19 billion has been invested into Yucca Mountain.
