Judy Treichel, in her May 26 guest column “Yucca Mountain is plenty safe, unless you live here,” notes that computer analysis alone will not convince us that storing radioactive nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain is safe. The stuff is dangerous, we get it.
Regarding whether President Jimmy Carter’s decision to ban reprocessing radioactive waste in 1977 and Congress’ 1987 designation of a sole storage site in Nevada are good decisions, we would have to inquire of our elected leadership. Congress’ failure to act on numerous issues is mind-boggling.
Spending money to expedite moving waste from wet storage into dry casks for storage “somewhere” would be progress.
Canada is close to home and has the same problem. Germany tried an abandoned salt mine for 30 years that did not work out.
Storing our waste in scattered locations — and particularly around the Great Lakes — is surely more dangerous than one site such as Yucca Mountain.
“None of the above” and additional scientific studies until after a few more elections is no longer acceptable.