Nuclear Waste Policy Analysis

Earlier this year the Havasupai Tribe and a coalition of conservation groups sued the United States Forest Service for allowing Energy Fuel Resources Inc. to operate a mine under a 1986 federal environmental review without tribal consultation. The Canyon mine was previously in non-operational status due to low uranium stock prices in 1992. Opponents of the uranium mining operation want the federal environmental review updated and

The Standing Rock Sioux tribe has not given up their fight to end this project. The tribe claims that they had no consent of the route of this project until the construction began. This caused major controversy and also caused the halt in the construction of the pipeline. The tribe also accused the government of illegally taking land from them and it is the law to consult with the land owners before construction.

The community and local sheriff’s office in Santa Barbara County and some of the local government officials are having trouble with the idea of the tribal expansion and their selling of alcohol on their gaming floors. Those who oppose the casino’s newest legalization were quoted in the news article in saying that they are more concerned with public safety than anything else. Then, the tribe’s spokesman, Vincent Armenta (2015), has mentioned that Santa Barbara has many other casinos serving alcohol throughout the casino, and that there are several wineries, liquor stores, and bars serving alcohol to public, as well, so why is the Chumash being singled out. However, as it stands right now the tribe has a temporary license to serve alcohol on its gaming floor, and the expansion is still underway. But this is not the only issue to arise for the

What some people may be worried about is the fact that this mine could destroy the wonderful peace of the Boundary Waters, for at least 20 years while PolyMet does their mining. The Boundary Waters are located in one of the 12 places on Earth where you can go 15 minutes without hearing human noise. You can ask pretty much anyone who has been to the Boundary Waters, and they will tell you just how peaceful and serene it is. I honestly think 20 years worth of jobs in that area cannot match up to the amazing environment that is already there.

The South Australian Government is looking into dumping high-level nuclear waste within the state and, what better place to house it then an already active nuclear waste site? In your backyard?

The tar creek mining site originally was owned by a Native American tribe, the Quapaw. The Quapaw wanted to keep these lands, but the Bureau of Indian Affairs deemed members opposing a transaction to mining companies “incompetent” (1). In such a case the business could continue and the Bureau of Indian Affairs sold the lands to mining companies. In essence these lands were stolen from the Quapaw because they were ripe for mining. These mines were then used from approximately 1891 to 1970. In the 79 years the mines were open 1.7 million metric tons (~3.75 billion pounds) of lead and 8.8 million metric tons (~19.4 billion pounds) of zinc were withdrawn from the mine (2). The entire area around Tar Creek is known as the tri-state mining

For years, the State of Nevada has found the Yucca Mountain project unacceptable because of the obvious logical and scientific issues that make the site itself unsafe. Additional support for their argument is that other than being far from the nuclear waste, the repository cannot really separate itself and its dangers from the environment and humans. Even though Nevada started with just being upset about the state having the political finger pointed at them to hold the whole nation’s nuclear waste but now their argument is stronger (Adams, 2010). Not only is Yucca Mountains’ size not big enough for the entire countries nuclear waste, but geologic factors could make the waste

•     Waste from nuclear energy stays radioactive for thousands of years. Great care has to be taken in storing this waste safely.

They are both arid environments which makes it easier to reduce the amount of water runoff. The Nevada Test Site is built on top of a chain of several volcanic and seismically active locations. Even with these potentially dangerous conditions the Atomic Energy Commission gave it the go ahead in 1952.

If there are to be more nuclear power plants, then there must be a safe way to store the nuclear waste created by such plants. There are no new plans on how to safely store the

Studies have been performed on activities like disposing in the oceans, as well as on more exotic proposals such as deep geological disposal and launching into space. Some of these methods have been found wanting in terms of feasibility, costs and legal restrictions [1]. The management community in charge of nuclear waste disposal had come to the agreement that the only practical route for ensuring sufficient long-term isolation of HLW from the environment is deep geologic disposal[3].For example, Canada has focused on the concept of Deep Geological Disposal for long term management of nuclear wastes generated from nuclear activities. The Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) is in charge of disposing radioactive wastes in the country. Canada’s long term management plan for used nuclear fuel is called “Adaptive Phased Management” [3] ,The plan is to confine and isolate the used fuel in a suitable host-rock with the help of a multiple barrier system. Selection of the site is based on screening of potential sites followed by a preliminary assessment of

In 1982, Congress passed the nuclear waste policy act that said the Department of Energy (DOE) was to build and operate a repository for used nuclear fuel and other highly radioactive waste (NEI). The DOE had until 1998 to find a location and build a site. In 1987, the nuclear waste policy act was amended and the DOE was told to study the Yucca Mountains only because it was a remote desert location (NEI). Even thought it is a desert location it still affects the nearby civilizations. The federal government in 2008 filed a construction license application to

South Dakota was one of the states that provided a great amount of uranium to be used during the 50’s, 60’s and the Cold War era. The demand of uranium increased and the constructions of mines were also increased. One of the areas that needed uranium was the military to be used in weapons ammunition and vehicles. Most of these mines were abandoned and the contamination spread around the nearby land and waters. “An earlier study of Forest Service land, on which the old mines from the 1950s and 1960s are located, found levels of arsenic, uranium and other contaminants in concentrations higher than what occurs naturally” (Walker, 2007). Some of these waste was carry down by rain precipitation to areas away from the mine. Indian reservations were affected by the mine contamination and

Even though the mining of uranium can cause environmental pollution, the power plant itself does not actually produce pollution. Yes, there is also nuclear waste we have to take care of, but it is stored in Yucca Mountain.On the contrary, people may be afraid of the nuclear waste having an accident while transporting it to the mountain, but it hasn’t happened yet. This is why we should help keep TMI open.

When offered financial compensation for land used for the pipeline, tribal leaders refused outright. If an agreement is going to be made that satisfies both parties, each will have find the middle ground in certain areas. After the initial Environmental Impact Statement, Energy Transfer Partners agreed to lower the depth that the pipeline runs under Lake Oahe to double the originally planned depth. If Energy Transfer Partners are willing to make changes to their plans, then the Sioux should also. It is understandable that the Sioux refused, as they see the land as their own and do not think that they should be required to make exceptions for corporations to build on it. However, one must acknowledge the realities of the world we live in today and accept that certain projects are going to continue whether the tribe like it or not, so they might as well attempt to get the best deal that they