The Yucca Mountain Nuclear Repository is connected to Nevada’s long history of nuclear weapons testing. While waste storage is far from detonating nuclear devices, this history has framed a strongly negative attitude toward waste storage.
I worked on the Yucca Mountain project the last 18 months of its existence, and spent considerable time studying the benefits and impacts of the potential repository. Here are some of my proposed questions:
1. Why do Nevadans so vehemently object to the construction and operation of the repository?
2. Are the objections based on fear or fact, or a combination of the two?
3. Are the objections unfounded?
4. Will there ever be a path forward to completing the repository?