A real solution

[Susan Gawarecki <loc@icx.net>]

Frankly, I think Yucca Mountain is a fine solution.  The concerns raised
thus far (potential for groundwater seepage, volcanism, earthquakes) are
not serious objections to the site in my opinion (my technical field
being Quaternary geology and hydrogeology).  These seem to have either
low-likelihood or insignificant probable impact, given what I know about
the region and the engineering of the repository.  I would be more
concerned about return of pluvial climatic conditions within the next
tens of thousands of years.

All of the naysaying ignores the extensive pollution right next door at
Nevada Test Site where nuclear bombs were exploded in the valley
subsurface. It seems to me that contamination from those will certainly
reach and pollute groundwater to a much greater extent than the
hypothetical situations postulated for Yucca Mountain.  I'll leave it to
the experts to estimate the number of bombs, their yields, and how many
curies might remain underground--in non-engineered, uncontrolled contact
with permeable alluvial gravels and lake-sediments.  An old proverb
about straining at gnats comes to mind.

I am curious, though, about the composition of spent fuel (not my
field).  What are the shorter half-life isotopes of concern (say those
that will be mostly gone within 300 years) vs. the very-long half-live
ones, and their relative proportions?  If there is a web site that
describes the changing composition of spent fuel as it decays over time,
I'd be interested in a reference to it.

My personal opinion only.

Susan Gawarecki

Ruth wrote:

> Do you really think Yucca Mountain has more problems than rocketing 
> spent nuclear fuel into space?

-- 
.....................................................
Susan L. Gawarecki, Ph.D., Executive Director
Oak Ridge Reservation Local Oversight Committee
                       -----                       
The August issue of "Insights" is now on our Web site
http://www.local-oversight.org - E-mail loc@icx.net 
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