The future of high-level nuclear waste disposal, state sovereignty and the tenth amendment: Nevada v. Watkins
The federal government`s monopoly over America`s nuclear energy production began during World War II with the birth of the Atomic Age. During the next thirty years, nuclear waste inventories increased with minor congressional concern. In the early 1970s, the need for federal legislation to address problems surrounding nuclear waste regulation, along with federal efforts to address these problems, became critical. Previous federal efforts had completely failed to address nuclear waste disposal. In 1982, Congress enacted the Nuclear Waste Policy Act (NWPA) to deal with issues of nuclear waste management and disposal, and to set an agenda for the development of two national high-level nuclear waste repositories. This article discusses the legal challenge to the NWPA in the Nevada v. Watkins case. This case illustrates the federalism problems faced by the federal government in trying to site the nation`s only high-level nuclear waste repository within a single state.
- OSTI ID:
- 405385
- Journal Information:
- Natural Resources Journal, Journal Name: Natural Resources Journal Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 36; ISSN 0028-0739; ISSN NRJOAB
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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