Welcome to Esmeralda County Repository Oversite Program

We've created this website to keep citizens informed about the Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste Program and the decisions being made regarding the potential of transportion of high level waste and the on-going study and hearings to determine if Yucca Mountain is a suitable location to store the nations high level nuclear waste and radioactive spent fuel.

Office and Staff        >>>>Click to open

Supporting Esmeralda County, the public and County Commissioners on Yucca Mountain Project issues and activities.
Ed Mueller and Pat Aumaugher are available at the ROP office to answer questions. Please drop by if you have questions or need more information. The ROP office is also an official reading room and maintains a library of pertinent documents related to the proposed Yucca Mountain Repository, as well as brochures and videos for public information.
Pat Aumaugher Office Manager
Ed Mueller Director Esmeralda County Repository Oversight Program
Goldfield Science Center The Science Center is located next to the Nuclear Oversight Programs Office at 274 E. Crook Avenue in Goldfield, Nevada. Visiting the center will give you the opportunity to see diagrams and interactive diorama's which detail the science at Yucca Mountain. There is also plenty of free brochures and information you can take home.

The future of Yucca Mountain:

On March 5th, 2010 Department of Energy (DoE) filed a motion with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to withdraw the application to build and operate Yucca Mountain.

About one year ago President Barack Obama cut all funding for the DoE's work towards realizing Yucca Mountain apart from answering questions from the NRC related to the license application. However, "President Obama is fully committed to ensuring that the nation meets our long-term storage obligations for nuclear waste," said Scott Blake Harris of the DoE. The route for this is to be the 15-member Blue Ribbon Commission on America's Nuclear Future, nominated last month (Feb 2010). It is to evaluate fuel-cycle and disposal options, including the reprocessing of used nuclear fuel, but will not touch on any siting concerns. Work for the group begins with its first meeting on 25-26 March and will continue until 2012.

UPDATE

Nuclear Regulatory Commission issued the following Safety Evaluation Report August 2010:

Safety Evaluation Report Related to Disposal of High-Level Radioactive Wastes in a Geologic Repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada Volume 1: General Information

 

The Yucca Mountain nuclear waste plan has been kept alive when on June 29th a panel of judges ruled the Obama administration does not have the authority to withdraw the project without permission from Congress.

Federal law requires the Department of Energy to apply for a waste repository license and for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to evaluate the application and rule on its merits unless lawmakers decide otherwise, according to a three-judge board that hears commission licensing matters.

"We conclude that Congress directed both that DOE file the application, and that the NRC consider the application and issue a final merits-based decision," the judges said. "Unless Congress directs otherwise, DOE may not single-handedly derail the legislated decision-making process by withdrawing the application." (read the full story -June 30: Ruling keeps Yucca Mountain alive)

The Blue Ribbon Commission on America´s Nuclear Future - President Obama and Energy Secretary Steven Chu has established the Blue Ribbon Commission on America's Nuclear Future -

"The Commission should conduct a comprehensive review of policies for managing the back end of the nuclear fuel cycle, including all alternatives for the storage, processing, and disposal of civilian and defense used nuclear
fuel and nuclear waste. This review should include an evaluation of advanced fuel cycle technologies that would optimize energy recovery, resource utilization, and the minimization of materials derived from nuclear activities in
a manner consistent with U.S. nonproliferation goals." From the January 29, 2010 - Federal Register Notice of Presidential Memorandum on the Commission.

Watch Blue Ribbon meeting video webcasts provided at this link

Nevada State Legislature Committed on High Level Waste Video webcasts link

2010 Timeline Updated

history:

The Nuclear Waste Policy Act (NWPA), designated the Yucca Mountain site in Nevada as the only site to be considered for a geologic repository for disposal of spent fuel and high-level nuclear waste. The NWPA also provided for the Affected Units of Local Government (AULG) within the vicinity of Yucca Mountain to oversee and participate in the Yucca Mountain Project. By affording AULG participation rights, Congress sought to increase public confidence in the scientific integrity of the repository program, provide citizens the means to interact with the federal government, and demonstrate a commitment to external oversight.

Esmeralda County is one of ten counties designated as an affected unit of local government (AULG).

Esmeralda County has been overseeing the site characterization of Yucca Mountain since 1988 even though we were not granted "affected" status by the U.S. Department of Energy until 1991 after successful joint petition with Inyo County, California, to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Esmeralda County's proximity to the proposed repository in neighboring Nye County and its location on a potential highway route that may be used for transportation of high-level radioactive waste and the proposed Caliente rail route for shipping the waste to Yucca Mountain make our county vitally interested in the environmental, health and safety impacts of the project and in the socioeconomic effects arising from siting, construction and operation of the proposed repository. More related information