Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Politics and science in siting battle

Journal Article · · Forum for Applied Research and Public Policy; (United States)
OSTI ID:7148868
 [1]
  1. Washington State's Office of Nuclear Waste Management, Olympic (United States)

Congress tried to balance politics and science in the selection process for a nuclear waste repository site but gave up and simply declared a winner. The reasons and consequences of this action disturbed the author. He says several forces converted to account for this dramatic turn of events. first, political resistance from potential host states convinced some that no repository would be built if congress failed to act. Second, steep cost escalations in the cumbersome selection process created pressure for decisive action. and, third, a feeling emerged that the Yucca Mountain site had the greatest likelihood of meeting criteria for a safe, permanent repository. He believes the original process, established in the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 (NWPA), could have been made to work. NWPA was not a mistake, he states, the mistake was a failure to implement the act fully and to encourage public involvement.

OSTI ID:
7148868
Journal Information:
Forum for Applied Research and Public Policy; (United States), Journal Name: Forum for Applied Research and Public Policy; (United States) Vol. 4:3; ISSN 0887-8218; ISSN FARPE
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English