RE: S. 1287 and H.R. 45

[Michael McNaughton <mcnaught@lanl.gov>]

At 03:02 PM 1/25/00 -0600, you wrote:

I need to know more (as follows) before I can confidently defend this policy. 

>What little water is found in Yucca Mountain is isolated in perched
aquifers and fractures or joints in the rock and would not be resting in
contact with the spent fuel as if it were a bathtub. 

How are we going to ensure this, after the material is buried? Will the
spent fuel still be dry thousands of years in the future?

>10,000 years compliance is more than enough to protect against radiation
hazards.  The spent fuel remaining after this time will be radioactive, but
the primary danger would be from heavy metal poisoning

Is this true for the transuranics?

Thanks for helping enlighten me. mike

Mike McNaughton
email: mcnaught@LANL.gov or mcnaughton@LANL.gov
phone: (505)667-6130
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