A RECENT FEDERAL APPEALS COURT DECISION IN WASHINGTON HAS PUT A PROPOSED DUMP IN NEVADA ON HOLD.
AND THAT COULD HAVE CONSEQUENCES FOR NEW HAMPSHIRE.
NHPR'S MARK BEVIS HAS DETAILS.
THE DUMP IN QUESTION IS UNDER YUCCA MOUNTAIN IN NEVADA.
THE WASTE IN QUESTION IS HIGH LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE.
THOSE GETTING RID OF THE WASTE INCLUDE THE SEABROOK AND VERMONT YANKEE NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS.
THE U.S. COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA HAS RULED THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY'S PROMISE THAT YUCCA MOUNTAIN IS SAFE... IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH.
THE DOE SAYS THE SITE WILL BE SAFE FOR 10,000 YEARS.
BUT THE COURT IMPLIED THAT THE STANDARD WOULD HAVE TO BE SEVERAL HUNDRED THOUSAND YEARS.
KEVIN KAMPF APPLAUDS THE DECISION.
HE'S WITH THE NUCLEAR INFORMATION AND RESOURCE SERVICE, A DC BASED ANTI-NUCLEAR ORGANIZATION.
TAPE: (THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF THE END OF THE YUCCA MOUNTAIN SITE.)
SINCE THE EARLY 1980s, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN PROMISING THE NUCLEAR POWER INDUSTRY A PLACE TO DUMP THEIR HIGH LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE.
AND YUCCA MOUNTAIN WAS SUPPOSED TO OPEN BY THE LATE 90s.
UNTIL THE FACILITY IS OPEN, POWER PLANTS LIKE SEABROOK AND VERMONT YANKEE MUST STORE THE WASTE ON SITE.
TROUBLE IS, THOSE FACILITIES ARE SLOWLY RUNNING OUT OF ROOM.
ALAN GRIFFITH AT THE SEABROOK NUCLEAR POWER PLANT SAYS THE ON-SITE STORAGE FACILITY IS NOW ABOUT HALF FULL.
TAPE: WE CAN GO ABOUT 10 YEARS.
IN THE MEANTIME, SAYS GRIFFITH, THE PLANTS MANAGERS ARE LOOKING AT WAYS OF REORGANIZING THE WASTE TO FIT MORE ON SITE.
AND THEY ARE ALSO LOOKING AT OTHER TECHNOLOGIES.
TAPE: DRY CASK STORAGE.
IN THE END SAYS GRIFFITH, SEABROOK STILL HAS A FEW YEARS BEFORE ANY DECISION MUST BE MADE.
THE PLANT IS LICENSED TO OPERATE UNTIL 2026.
OVER AT THE VERMONT YANKEE NUCLEAR POWER PLANT NEAR BRATTLEBORO, THEIR SPOKESPERSON DIDN'T RETURN PHONE CALLS.
BUT VERMONT'S DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SERVICE ESTIMATES THAT FACILITY WILL BE OUT OF WASTE STORAGE SPACE BY THE YEAR 2012.
THAT'S IF THEY CONTUNUE PRODUCING POWER AT THE CURRENT RATE.
VERMONT YANKEE'S OWNERS, ENTERGY CORPORTATION, HAS ASKED VERMONT'S PUBLIC SERVICE BOARD AND THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISION FOR PERMISION TO INCREASE THEIR POWER OUTPUT BY 20%.
THAT DECISION IS STILL PENDING.
BUT AN INCREASE IN PRODUCTION WOULD ALSO INCREASE THE PLANT'S WASTE.
THE LAST TIME THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY HAD TO WRITE REGULATIONS FOR YUCCA MOUNTAIN, IT TOOK 9 YEARS.
THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY SAYS IT WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD AND TRY TO GET YUCCA MOUNTAIN OPEN IN SIX YEARS, BY 2010.
BUT EVEN IF THE DOE IS SUCCESSFUL, KEVIN KAMPF AT THE ANTI-NUCLEAR ORGANIZATION, NIRS, SAYS, THERE'S NO GUARANTEE SEABROOK AND VERMONT YANKEE WILL BE ABLE TO SEND THEIR WASTE TO NEVADA.
TAPE:
IN THE MEANTIME, ANOTHER SUIT IS WENDING ITS WAY THROUGH COURT.
THE YANKEE GROUP OF REACTORS IN MAINE, VERMONT AND CONNECTICUT ARE SEEKING DAMAGES FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FOR VIOLATING THE CONTRACT TO OPEN YUCCA MOUNTAIN.
THE UTILITIES ARE SEEKING NEARLY 550 MILLION DOLLARS FOR THE COSTS INCURRED IN STORING THEIR HIGH LEVEL WASTE UNTIL 2010.
A DECISION IN THAT CASE IS EXPECTED BY THE END OF SUMMER.
FOR NHPR NEWS, THIS IS MARK BEVIS.
