It’s been evident for a while that Yucca Mountain was history after it was announced that it’s funding was eliminated by President Obama. ENR is reporting that the USDOE is officially withdrawing its Nuclear Regulatory Commission application for a waste-storage facility although it sounds like they are a little unsure about how to do that. Reportedly, more than $38 billion has been spend on research and construction at the site over the last couple decades. According to ENR, the temporary storage costs of storing spent nuclear fuel could reach $10 to $26 billion in the next 100 years if a permanent storage site is not found. It looks like we will be dealing with indefinite “temporary” storage of nuclear waste for probably our lifetime.
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Nevada’s Yucca Mountain Case Versus DOE Thrown Out
The State of Nevada lost a major battle in their attempt to block the US Department of Energy’s attempt at licensing the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository. The panel of judges in the case threw it out after a week of oral arguments by the State. According to the Las Vegas Review Journal, the Judge’s ruling stated "Nevada’s legal position is incorrect."
Geo-Companies in ENR 2019 Top 500 Design Firms
Engineering News Record (ENR) has published their annual list of Top 500 Design Firms, and as is the tradition on GeoPrac, I have highlighted geo-companies that are involved in geotechnical engineering, geological consulting services, and […]
Economic Stimulus and the Construction and Engineering Sectors
Details are starting to solidify related to the construction-related spending in the Economic Stimulus Package. According to ENR.com, the total estimated construction-related spending is around $131 billion. They have a very nice breakdown of the spending, sector by sector (updated 2/13). Read on for the highlights. (Photo by SP8254)