[ RadSafe ] Yucca Mountain

[Jerry Cohen]

Dear Dan,
    I tend to be optimistic believing that when all else fails, logic and 
reason will prevail.
Looking forward to that time, I see a thriving nuclear power industry, 
reprocessing of
spent  nuclear fuel, and disposal of residual radioactive waste in the 
ocean.  People  will
look back at the Yucca Mountain Project as a major folly and distraction and 
will lament
all of the benefits that might have been gained if those  squandered 
resources had been
intelligently applied.    Jerry


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Dan W McCarn" <hotgreenchile at gmail.com>
To: <radsafe at radlab.nl>
Cc: <jjcohen at prodigy.net>; "'Steven Dapra'" <sjd at swcp.com>
Sent: Sunday, June 08, 2008 8:25 PM
Subject: RE: [ RadSafe ] Yucca Mountain


Dan W. McCarn, Geologist; 3118 Pebble Lake Drive; Sugar Land, TX 77479; USA
HotGreenChile at gmail.com    mccarn at unileoben.ac.at    UConcentrate at gmail.com

Dear Jerry:

I've been on both sides.  In my opinion, the mining companies seem to be the
ones seeking truth and balanced judgment since they have to live with both
the financial and regulatory consequences until project completion.  The
politically-driven YM project reflects Congress's search for political coin
and is a quintessential boondoggle; But it is the Achilles Heel of the
nuclear industry and has to see completion. Personally, I'd rather see
reprocessing, but I'm uncertain of the cost compared to a once-through fuel
cycle.

I don't know if you've been following the politics of licensing, but the NRC
has been challenged twice now in the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals.  The
earlier challenge was from the State of Utah regarding interim storage of
nuclear waste, and the current challenge is surrounding the right of a
private company to license uranium mining operations on private land in New
Mexico.  I have 9 of the court briefs in the May 2008 New Mexico case if
anyone is interested, but they are too big to attach here.  Please write me
offline.  I've provided affidavits in two of the NRC administrative hearings
for the uranium mining issue.  These include Amicus Briefs,
Intervener-Respondent Briefs, etc.