I was working at Sandia when all the characterization work was being done at Yucca Mountain. I knew people involved at our lab. Harry Reid caved to the environmentalists and wasted too much taxpayer money as well as the years people put in into the project. You would not believe the amount of testing and paperwork generated for the project just by Sandia. There were many, many other partners involved.
Sandia did a lot of impressive work on Yucca, as well as SNF transportation. I think that the facility could have been built and operated fairly safely, although it's clear that conditions there might be a bit wetter than originally thought. (Hence the proposal to add the "drip shields.")
Did you know Rip Anderson?
I visited Yucca Mountain in 1997. Once of the coolest things I've ever done. Was working for a Nevada think tank (unlike those found in New Mexico, a *good* think tank) and one of our board members, IIRC, was an executive with one of the contractors. (Bechtel?) We got a CADILLAC tour. A DOE flack and a geologist accompanied us. Solid people, for government employees. We drove up from Vegas with a New York Times reporter. We were that "important"!
Went on to write the first (and, I believe, ONLY) free-market analysis of SNF:
When I was at the Pahrump Valley Museum in 2022, I discovered a big Yucca exhibit. They still dream about the repository being built! Think that ship sailed. Anyway, there were selling an EPIC, two-volume history of Yucca. Best hundred bucks I ever spent!
I didn't know Rip. I knew a technologist working there and one of the managers in the group I supported. I can picture him but can't think of his name. That's what happens after being retired for almost 14 years.
Excellent article. As indicated by your link, the French have done a better job than anyone else on the SNF issue. The French also, wisely, used the same Westinghouse design for the construction of all their nuclear plants. The Chicomms are doing the same today and are also using the same construction crew for each new plant.
We just cannot seem to get nuclear right here in the U.S.A. Sad, really. Lots of blame to go around, and not all of it belongs with government. The Vogtle and Summer debacles ... sheesh. Pathetic. Maybe SMRs will be a thing. But given the history, there's not a lot of room for optimism.
I was working at Sandia when all the characterization work was being done at Yucca Mountain. I knew people involved at our lab. Harry Reid caved to the environmentalists and wasted too much taxpayer money as well as the years people put in into the project. You would not believe the amount of testing and paperwork generated for the project just by Sandia. There were many, many other partners involved.
Sandia did a lot of impressive work on Yucca, as well as SNF transportation. I think that the facility could have been built and operated fairly safely, although it's clear that conditions there might be a bit wetter than originally thought. (Hence the proposal to add the "drip shields.")
Did you know Rip Anderson?
I visited Yucca Mountain in 1997. Once of the coolest things I've ever done. Was working for a Nevada think tank (unlike those found in New Mexico, a *good* think tank) and one of our board members, IIRC, was an executive with one of the contractors. (Bechtel?) We got a CADILLAC tour. A DOE flack and a geologist accompanied us. Solid people, for government employees. We drove up from Vegas with a New York Times reporter. We were that "important"!
Went on to write the first (and, I believe, ONLY) free-market analysis of SNF:
https://nevada.eresources.ws/issues/publication/spare-the-rods
When I was at the Pahrump Valley Museum in 2022, I discovered a big Yucca exhibit. They still dream about the repository being built! Think that ship sailed. Anyway, there were selling an EPIC, two-volume history of Yucca. Best hundred bucks I ever spent!
https://pvtimes.com/news/yucca-mountain-project-history-told-from-the-inside/
I didn't know Rip. I knew a technologist working there and one of the managers in the group I supported. I can picture him but can't think of his name. That's what happens after being retired for almost 14 years.
Excellent article. As indicated by your link, the French have done a better job than anyone else on the SNF issue. The French also, wisely, used the same Westinghouse design for the construction of all their nuclear plants. The Chicomms are doing the same today and are also using the same construction crew for each new plant.
We just cannot seem to get nuclear right here in the U.S.A. Sad, really. Lots of blame to go around, and not all of it belongs with government. The Vogtle and Summer debacles ... sheesh. Pathetic. Maybe SMRs will be a thing. But given the history, there's not a lot of room for optimism.