Why is White Pine
County involved in the Yucca Mountain Project?
The 1987 amendments to the Nuclear Waste
Policy Act created the ability for Affected
Units of Local Government (AULG) to receive
resources to determine the impacts from the
Yucca Mountain Project.
White Pine County received "affected" status
in April of 1988 as a recognition by the
Department of Energy (DOE) that the County and
its citizens could be impacted by the project.
The County's various highway and rail routes
could potentially be used for transportation of
high-level nuclear waste in the event the
repository is constructed and licensed to
operate.
Even if such routes were not used, White Pine
County shares its borders with Nye County, which
houses the Yucca Mountain Project, and could be
directly affected by mishaps or accidents that
might occur as a result of the transportation
and subsequent storage of nuclear waste.
What kinds of "oversight"
activities is your office involved in?
A major task of government is to prepare for
contingencies. While it is far from certain what
the final outcome of the Yucca Mountain Project
will be, the County's planning and studies will
assist in ensuring that the public and economy
are protected from any adverse effects from the
repository program.
The White Pine County Commissioners directed
that an office be set up to monitor activity at
the Yucca Mountain Project to keep the local
governmental bodies and the citizens of White
Pine County informed of any aspects of the
project that might impact the County. The
Nuclear Waste Policy Act lists specific areas of
study where the County should be involved.
When will waste start to be
transported to or stored in Yucca Mountain?
This and similar questions address the
timeline of the entire nuclear waste disposal
issue. There have been many steps completed, but
there are many steps remaining before the
repository at Yucca Mountain will (if at all) be
licensed for construction and then again for
operation. Follow this link for the milestones
to date and the anticipated
timeline of future activities.
What are the risks or issues that
White Pine County is concerned about?
The White Pine County Nuclear Waste Project
Office is primarily concerned with whether a
repository at Yucca Mountain or an interim
storage facility at the Nevada Test Site (and
the transportation of nuclear waste to those
sites) would pose unacceptable risks and impacts
to the health, safety and well-being of White
Pine County residents.
A repository or interim storage facility
could pose several kinds of potential risk or
impact to County residents including the health
and safety of the public, socioeconomic
conditions and quality of life, and
environmental concerns.
For More Information Contact:
White Pine County Nuclear Waste Project Office
959 Campton Street, Ely, NV 89301
Tel: 775-289-2033
FAX: 775-289-2066
Email
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