Geostatistical and Stochastic Study of Radio nuclide Transport in the Unsaturated Zone at Yucca Mountain

The U.S. Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board [Cohon et al. 1998] evaluated the technical and scientific validity of activities undertaken by the Secretary of Energy to characterize Yucca Mountain, Nevada, for its suitability as an underground repository in which to store high-level radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel. In the report, the Board pinpointed that the study on groundwater flow and radionuclide transport in the saturated and unsaturated zones below Yucca Mountain should, over the next several years, focus on reducing prediction uncertainty. In its 2002, the Board repeated this concern by stating, “… hydrogeologic processes that affect radionuclide transport below the proposed repository in the unsaturated and saturated zones remain poorly understood.” However, above the saturated zone, the unsaturated zone (UZ), the area in which the repository would be located, acts as a critical natural barrier by delaying the arrival of radionuclides at the saturated zone and by reducing radionuclide concentrations in groundwater through dispersion and dilution. Before any analysis of saturated zone behavior becomes relevant, quantitative prediction of radionuclide transport in the unsaturated zone becomes critical for performance assessment and design of the repository of the Yucca Mountain Project (YMP)

Risk Estimation and Expert Judgment: The Case of Yucca Mountain

Professor Shrader-Frechette discusses factors responsible for acute disagreement between the federal government and Nevada citizens over potential Risks at Yucca Mountain and focuses on the use of expert judgment, concluding that some of them appear to exemplify bad science. That aside, she argues that 1,000 year predictions cannot be made from current knowledge of geology or, e.g., institutional behavior and concludes that permanent disposal of radioactive waste is currently impossible

Evaluation of the Potential Economic Impacts of 40 CFR 197: Environmental Radiation Standards for Yucca Mountain, Nevada

The Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), pursuant to section 801 of the Energy Policy Act of 1992 (EnPA), is proposing a rule which contains standards for the protection of the public from releases of radioactive materials stored or disposed of in the repository at the Yucca Mountain site in Nevada. This report, as required by Executive Order 12866, provides an assessment of the economic impacts of the proposed rule. As the Agency is hindered by the unavailability of necessary information to perform a rigorous quantitative economic assessment, this report provides background to the standards being proposed, a summary of the proposed standards, and a largely qualitative evaluation of the anticipated consequences

Pigford, Shrader-Frechette & the NRC Report on Yucca Mountain: Comment

Dr. Okrent raises several questions related to, e.g., the uneven application of the goal of intergenerational equity

The Yucca Mountain Legacy Project

HOME envisions the Yucca Mountain Legacy Project as a proactive initiative to develop an environmental/health baseline before contamination from the NTS or the proposed Yucca Mountain Repository reaches surrounding communities. Phase I of the project is a stakeholder driven process to assist current residents immediately downstream. Our study will also be important to future generations who will be downgradient of the Pahute Mesa underground nuclear weapons testing area. This research was completed money allocated during Round 6 of the Citizens’ Monitoring and Technical Assessment Fund (MTA Fund). Clark University was named conservator of these works. If you have any questions or concerns please contact us at [email protected]://commons.clarku.edu/homemta/1000/thumbnail.jp

Maximum Individual & Vicinity-Average Dose for a Geologic Repository Containing Radioactive Waste

Explains the basis for his strong dissent to an NAS report on Yucca Mountain