By FITSNews || After Americans spent $10 billion- including $1.2 billion from Palmetto state residents – to build the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository in Nevada, U.S. President Barack Obama has decided to zero out federal funding for the facility.
Obama’s Energy Department has also suspending licensing for the desert site, meaning that South Carolina could end up having to hold onto thousands of containers of high-level radioactive waste.
Obviously, that’s great news for GOP powerbroker Warren Tompkins and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Dwight Drake – both of whom love them some hazardous waste – but it’s bad news for the rest of us. Accordingly, South Carolina’s “Republican” politicians decided that Tuesday would be “Make Noise About Yucca Day,” holding a press conference at the S.C. State House to rail against Obama.
Attending were S.C. Gov. Mark Sanford and gubernatorial candidates Gresham Barrett and Nikki Haley. Not attending (but promising another one of his rock ‘em sock ‘em lawsuits) was S.C. Attorney General Henry McMaster.
“Over the last 18 years, South Carolina ratepayers have contributed over $1.2 billion to the Yucca Mountain project, and the Obama Administration’s recent decision means we will get nothing – literally nothing – in return,” Sanford said.
Last summer, an attempt to zero out funding for Yucca Mountain failed by a 388-30 vote in the U.S. House, but this time it’s clear that the effort to shutter the facility will have the full support of the Obama administration. Yucca Mountain also has a powerful defender in Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nevada), who has declared the project “dead” in his home state.
Yucca's north portal.
The U.S. Congress designated Yucca Mountain as America’s repository for spent nuclear fuel in 1987 – a decision that was formalized in 2002.
The facility was supposed to open in 2017, but Reid’s ascension to Senate Majority Leader – and the election of Obama – could keep that from happening.
That could be a costly failure.
In addition to the costs of constructing the facility (which, as noted, have been disproportionately borne by Palmetto State residents), American taxpayers could find themselves on the hook for $500 million in court fines and legal bills annually – in addition to the $1.5 billion already owed by the Energy Department.
Ironically, the decision to shutter Yucca comes at a time when there is widespread public support for the construction of additional nuclear facilities – meaning the country’s storage problem is only going to be exacerbated. In fact, America’s 104 current commercial nuclear reactors will produce enough spent fuel to fill Yucca Mountain within the next four years.
With no place to put this waste, these commercial facilities would be forced to keep it on site.
Can anybody say terrorist targets?
In case you’re interested in some of the background on this latest multibillion dollar government clusterfuck, below is a surprisingly articulate letter written from one of Gov. Sanford’s staffers to U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham.
WEB EXTRA
Sanford’s Yucca Mountain Letter to Sen. Lindsey Graham
By OhNoNotAgain February 16, 2010 at 2:15 pm
Didn’t Sen. Lindsey Graham author a bill, passed and signed into law, requiring that this junk be taken and requiring stiff penalties be paid to South Carolina if it wasn’t moved away.
It was in the lawsuit during the Hodges administration I believe. Issue started then, anyway.
The stuff that’s being kept at SRS is what I’m talking about.
By SC Moderate February 16, 2010 at 3:12 pm
Where is Demint on the latest Yucca developments? I don’t see his name mentioned in any of these articles from the past day or two.
At the very least, I do not see him speaking out against the change in course. Has he decided that budget cuts take front seat to continuing with Yucca funding?
Just asking, as I can not find answers to the above relating to Demint?
By WorkingTommyC February 16, 2010 at 8:44 pm
Lindsey Graham wants to show leadership and compromise with the Democrats. He is bravely DEMANDING that we store all the nuclear waste right where it currently is.
By Another Opinion February 16, 2010 at 8:54 pm
This is odd news, considering Obama is pushing for nuclear energy.
By southernmapart February 16, 2010 at 9:46 pm
Some may recall that former Governor Jim Hodges became a national joke when he declared war on the transfer of so much nuclear waste into South Carolina. He was referred to as “speed bump” when he said he would lie down in the highway to keep the truckers from bringing it in.
The truckers brought it in, Hodges in gone and here we are.
We no longer know how many “hot” rods are stored in pools of water at our local nuclear plants and in the additional storage pools built in areas close to the nuclear plants. Our nuclear plants were not built to contain long-term storage of hazardous waste.
Lindsey Graham has not protected the public on this issue.
By Liberty For Me February 16, 2010 at 10:19 pm
(but promising another one of his rock ‘em sock ‘em lawsuits)….Classic
LOL..I know it is not the subject,but that really framed what a tool McMaster is.I think Obama is safe with him as long as he stays of Craigslist.
By Liberty For Me February 16, 2010 at 10:23 pm
“WorkingTommyC”..I think we know where Graham wants those plutonium rods…
By SC_Moderate February 17, 2010 at 1:04 am
From what I can tell, Jim Demint supported these latest measures to block Yucca funding, leaving the materials to SC. (feel free to correct me if I’m wrong). So why is Demint escaping critism from those you are bashing Graham and Obama?
By southernmapart February 17, 2010 at 8:24 am
I’ve googled and checked and cannot find information whether the g’ment now has sufficient other use for the hot rods.
Could it be that we no longer need Yucca?
Could it be that South Carolina is proud to be possessor of the rods?
Could it be that someone out there wants South Carolina’s hot rods?
Anyway, how is MOX made? What is the basic resource material for this nuclear fuel?
C’mon FitsNews, let’s have some real news.
By Charles February 17, 2010 at 11:14 am
“With no place to put this waste, these commercial facilities would be forced to keep it on site. Can anybody say terrorist targets?”
The vast majority of neculer plants are east of the Missippi River. The most vulnerable these materials would ever be to terroists attack is when they are being transported from the east to Yucca Mountain. While I certainly do not want these materials stored in SC, I am not certain this argument holds a lot of water.
By Darth February 17, 2010 at 11:48 am
Vitrified, the material is fine where it is and is just too f’ing cumbersome for a terr to hoist for nefarious purposes, though doing so would chiefly accomplish their purposes.
IMHO, let’s go ahead and close Yucca Mountain, store the processed material here, reprocess as fuel what Dhimmi Carter stopped, bringing tremendous properity to Barnwell AND terminate ALL NRC licensure in Nevada for research, medicine, and any other processes in Nevada that require isotopes or radiation or radioactive devices. Further, for any state that doesn’t step into a compact for low level waste, the same denial of licenses be applied, with the exclusion of those states (SC, Idaho and maybe Washington state). Add to that all of the Dept of Energy gravy train, read that jobs, many over $100K move to Savannah River Site and agreements that had been in place with Nevada colleges and universities move to benefit SC State, Francis Marion, MUSC, USC, Clemson, UGa and Georgia Tech…
By Cargo Storage February 17, 2010 at 1:17 pm
I’m confused. Wasn’t Obama pushing for nuclear energy to expand the energy of the future. “It’s that simple…” was what he said. Now he’ll be leaving hazardous toxins that could lead to higher health issues. MAN, MAKE UP YOUR MIND!
By Just a thought February 17, 2010 at 2:01 pm
Its not lifting the waste out or that terrorists get it; its getting it into the SC aquafer (water supply). Then watch as SC natives grow a third arm out of thier heads.
By Kuykendalls Gold February 17, 2010 at 2:44 pm
He is trading Yucca funding for something, we just have to figure out which stalled priority it is….
By aBadReid February 17, 2010 at 4:25 pm
This letter is right on and is showing that science played NO role in this decision to close Yucca Mountain. It was just politics as usual.
For more detailed information go to http://aBadReid.com
By Reginald February 17, 2010 at 10:17 pm
Well, to put it essentially your own words “If the project truly had merit it would be funded by the private sector.”
If nuclear power is such a good idea, why does it require $B’s of our tax dollars to subsidiz it?
Or, is FITS doing it’s own RINO dance?