nuclear-news

Revival of U.S. nuclear industry in doubt due to waste problem

Waste issue hurting U.S. nuclear revival-panel  Lack of plan for waste seen hurting nuclear development  Commission told to move beyond Yucca Mountain site Some lawmakers oppose plan to shut down Yucca  By Ayesha Rascoe, WASHINGTON, March 25 (Reuters) – The lack of a permanent home for the nation’s radioactive waste is dampening prospects for a resurgence of the U.S. nuclear industry, federal commissioners said at their first public hearing on the subject.The Energy Department set up the panel of former Congressmen, academics, and business leaders after deciding to scrap the long delayed Yucca Mountain nuclear waste dump in Nevada…..

“This is a major impediment to the development of new nuclear sites,” said commissioner John Rowe, chief executive officer of power company Exelon Corp . “While we don’t have to do anything quickly to keep the public safe, we do have to do something decisive to have public credibility.”….
Ultimately the United States will need a geologic repository to deal with the 2,000 tonnes of waste produced annually by U.S. nuclear power plants, said Allison Macfarlane, a George Mason University professor. “We cannot escape that fact.”…..
The nuclear waste panel is scheduled to produce an interim report within 18 months and a final report within two years.

Federal law required the government to take ownership of the spent fuel in 1998, but with no repository completed that has yet to happen and leaves the dangerous used fuel on site at the nation’s numerous nuclear plants

UPDATE 1-Waste issue hurting U.S. nuclear revival-panel | Reuters

March 26, 2010 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | business and costs, USA | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear renaissance, nuclear spin, nuclear wastes, radiation, radioactive, uranium