Erik Chang Essay 1.

2 CTW-I Red, Blue, Green: The Primary Colors of Controversy Over the past 30 years the United States has had a major shift in ideology, from conservative republicans to green liberals. Ever since the United Sates Congress picked the Yucca Mountains as a proposed nuclear waste dumping site in 1987 without the permission of the state of Nevada protests broke out. (Garber) The Marxist class warfare can be seen in the Yucca Mountain Waste Repository controversy. Hundreds of communities rallied to fight for and against the dumping site. While some against the site argue that the site is inadequate, others argue that it will affect tourism in Nevada. The Republicans driven by practicality and convenience, or perhaps ulterior political motives selected the location and created the design for the Yucca Mountain Waste Repository. The battle over the Yucca Mountain Waste Repository has helped the green movement take root in the United States causing a major shift in American ideology. Beginning in 1978 the Yucca Mountains have been studied by the Department of Energy as a site for a nuclear waste repository. The Yucca Mountains was selected to be studied along with nine other sites in 1984. A year later the site list was narrowed down to three and the Yucca Mountains were finally selected as the final site in 1987. Permanent disposal is very problematic because in order to be stored safely underground for thousands of years the storage facility must be away from human population and wildlife, have little groundwater flowing though, and be safe from natural disasters that could damage the storage facility.

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Since the emergence of commercial nuclear power in the early 1960s the big dilemma was where to store the nuclear waste. In 1957, a report by the National Academy of Sciences, The Disposal of Radioactive Waste on Land, recommended the geologic disposal of radioactive wastes. (Papay) The report from the National Academy of Sciences sparked the 40 year search for a location where an underground nuclear repository could be constructed. In 1982 the Republican president Ronald Regan signed the Nuclear Waste Policy Act. The Nuclear Waste Policy act served as guidelines to establish procedures to evaluate and select sites for geologic repositories and for the interaction of state and federal governments. It also provides a timetable of key milestones the federal agencies must meet in carrying out the program. (Summary of the Nuclear Waste Policy Act | Laws and Regulations | US EPA) and to assign the United States Department of Energy (DOE) the task of determining the best method and location to dispose of nuclear waste. The United States has over 100 operational nuclear power plants generating 2,000 metric tons of nuclear waste per year. Nuclear power accounts for approximately 19 percent of the United States' electricity production. (United States Environmental Protection Agency) The Yucca Mountains averages 7.5 inches of rainfall per year and areas surrounding the Yucca Mountains also have been reported to have low amounts of seismic activity which is why it was deemed to be such a great candidate for a national nuclear waste repository. However, people protesting the repository argue that the close proximity of the site (100 miles north of Las Vegas) could potentially damage tourism and the health of Nevadans. Nuclear power plants use fuel rods to power the nuclear reactors to generate energy via fission. After the fuel rods run out of fissionable metal they are useless and become nuclear waste. Spent rods, which are classified as high level nuclear waste, must be put into a storage

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pool next to the reactor because they are extremely hot and if they are not cooled the rods combust releasing harmful radiation. Most nuclear reactors were designed between the years of 1960 and 1970. The designers intended for the pools to be used for the temporary storage of spent fuel rods while looking for a long term solution. However, no long term method of disposal has been discovered and due to the lack of foresight the rods began to accumulate in the pools. Set to open in 1998, the Yucca Mountain Waste Repository had many legal issues involving the transport of nuclear waste to the site and questions about funding. Because of this and the absence of any way to process nuclear waste, the spent fuel rod pools began to accumulate and having to rely on dry cask storage. Dry cask storage allows spent fuel that has already been cooled in the spent fuel pool for at least one year to be surrounded by inert gas inside a container called a cask. The casks are typically steel cylinders that are either welded or bolted closed. The steel cylinder provides a leak-tight containment of the spent fuel. (United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission) The storage containers containing a total of 70,000 metric tons of high level radioactive waste are sealed and are currently stored at 121 different power plants sited around the United States. (United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission) These spent fuel rods, which are extremely radioactive, must be disposed of with great care because they take thousands of years to decompose and become non-radioactive. The Yucca Mountain Waste Repositorys funding was terminated on April 14, 2011 under the Obama Administration. However, the need for a permanent nuclear waste facility still exists. On March 11, 2011 Japan was struck by a 9.0 magnitude earthquake that damaged the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant. These spent rods are still highly radioactive: the radioactivity is so great the rods must be stored in water so they do not combust the radioactivity in the used rods can cause them to become so hot they begin to catch fire.

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(Murphy) The Fukushima plant contained an approximate 600,000 spent fuel rods in its holding pools. So although the Yucca Mountain Waste Repository controversy has faded into the past, the recent disaster at the Fukushima plant and pull of funding the question where to store high level radioactive waste has not disappeared. The Yucca Mountain Waste Repository controversy has many stakeholders. There are more than 50 national and 700 environmental and public interest groups opposed to the Yucca Mountain Waste Repository. The State of Nevada vetoed the site recommendation of Yucca Mountain spring 2002, but On July 23, 2002 President George W. Bush signed House Joint Resolution 87. The Joint resolution approved the site at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, for the development of a repository for the disposal of high-level radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel, pursuant to the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982. (Pub. L. No. 107-200) The people protesting the Yucca Mountain Waste repository stereotyped as the anti-nuclear movement. However, the protesters are only gathering around the ideology that nuclear is bad when in fact they are not the unorganized grassroots movement they are portrayed to be. The opposition is in fact not solely driven by concerns for the environment or human health; political and social play a big role in the debate. A crucial issue is that dumps such as the Yucca Mountain Waste Repository are predominately places in areas of lower class Americans and minorities. Nevada is stereotyped by prostitution, gambling, and illegal aliens. All three are looked down upon by conservative republicans. A question is often raised due to practicality or because of social bias. The political issues that arise are simply that of locals that are unable to vote to veto this project while others see it as a way to control Nevadas natural resources. The various theories and theologies that contribute to the spectrum of protesters are a combination of Deep Ecology, Marxist philosophy,

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and Decentralism. Deep Ecology is characterized by the belief that human economic growth has changed earth/nature too far from its natural state. It serves as a part of the green movement and provides an independent ethical platform for Green parties and environmentalists. (Zimmerman) The Marxist philosophy Remnants of class warfare theory pervade many environmental theories. While Maoism and Marxism are no longer mentioned by name in environmental tracks, following the writings of environmental authors back twenty years often reveals a time when their ideas were directly attributed to these revolutionaries. (Waymire) Decentralism is the organizing belief in going green. Ralph Nader's anti-nuclear activists have been supporters of decentralism, arguing that nuclear energy centralizes political power while solar energy disperses it. From 2002 to 2004 the Department Of Ecology is working on a license for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Nevada brings many lawsuits to the D.C. court of appeals. In 2004 the Court of Appeals does not listen to the Nevada lawsuits but throws out the 10,000 year EPA regulation standard for the Yucca Mountain site. From 2004-2007 the DOE is researching possible shipment routes to the Yucca mountains finally finishing their application in 2008. In July 2009 the project was cancelled to wait for technology to improve for a better solution than a dumping site. The House of Representatives voted 388 to 30 on amendments to HHR3183 (Roll call vote 591, via Clerk.House.gov) finally in 2011 the funding for researching the Yucca Mountain site cut terminating all standing operations involving the site. The Republican party as a whole have been very pro in advocating for the site. Senator, and presidential candidate, John McCain said in March of 2009: "Nuclear power is a critical component in securing our nations energy future and reducing greenhouse gas emission and I believe that moving forward on Yucca Mountain is a key step in growing a strong nuclear

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industry." The upper class is exemplary of the Marxist class warfare. Until recently, the Republican Party has traditionally garnered it strongest backing among wealthier voters. (Dimock) Coincidentally the greatest progress toward the Yucca Mountain site has occurred while a republican was in office. Ronald Regan, a republican, was in office for eight years while the site was being chosen after he signed the Nuclear Waste Policy Act giving the Department of Ecology the authority to research potential sites for a nuclear waste dump. George W. Bush was also in office for eight years while the license for the Yucca Mountain site was being written by the DOE. Bush also signed joint House Resolution 87 overriding the site recommendation veto by the State of Nevada. In 2008, Obama promised to cancel the Yucca Mountain project after receiving funding from Nevada. However, he did not have the power to do so. The battle between the upper and lower classes of America can be seen in the Yucca Mountain Waste Repository. Nevada, the state that makes 20 billion a year off of the travel industry, has the stereotype of gambling, prostitution, and gambling all activities looked down upon by the upper class and conservatives. (Nevada Visitor Statistics) What started out as a political class struggle bloomed into an environmental controversy. The Yucca Mountain debate has influenced the environmental ideology through the many communities that rallied to oppose it. As Green Guilt increased in popularity with Americans, the shift towards liberal democratic thinking has grown in favor while the conservative republican mentality has declined. (Dimock) The Yucca Mountain plan with the DOE progressed with Republicans who have the reputation of the conservative upper class. Stagnation of progress and the eventual pull of funding from the Yucca Mountain plan both have occurred with a Democrat. A new ideology has taken hold of the United States evolving it. The United States has evolved and has transcended into the Green Age.

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Works Cited Asma, Stephen T. "Green Guilt - The Chronicle Review - The Chronicle of Higher Education." Home - The Chronicle of Higher Education. 10 Jan. 2010. Web. 18 Oct. 2011. <http://chronicle.com/article/Green-Guilt/63447/>. Dimock, Michael. "Money Walks." Pew Research Center. 12 Apr. 2007. Web. 18 Oct. 2011. <http://pewresearch.org/pubs/451/money-walks>. Disposition of High-level Waste and Spent Nuclear Fuel: the Continuing Societal and Technical Challenges. Washington, D.C.: National Academy, 2001. Print. Ewing, Rodney C., and Allison Macfarlane. "Yucca Mountain." Sciencemag.org. Web. 18 Oct. 2011. <http://www.sciencemag.org/content/296/5568/659.full.pdf>. "FINAL VOTE RESULTS FOR ROLL CALL 591." Office of the Clerk U.S House of Representatives. 17 July 2009. Web. 18 Oct. 2011. <http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2009/roll591.xml>. Garber, Kent. "Lessons from the Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste Storage Debate." US News & World Report | News & Rankings | Best Colleges, Best Hospitals, and More. 16 Mar. 2009. Web. 18 Oct. 2011. <http://www.usnews.com/news/energy/articles/2009/03/16/lessons-from-the-yuccamountain-nuclear-waste-storage-debate>. Herszenhorn, David M. "Yucca Mountain Plan for Nuclear Waste Dies - NYTimes.com." Politics and Government - 2012 Presidential Watch - The Caucus Blog - NYTimes.com. 31 Mar. 2009. Web. 18 Oct. 2011.

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<http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/31/yucca-mountain-plan-for-nuclearwaste-dies/>. Murphy, Kirk J. "Nuke Engineer: Fuel Rod Fire at Fukushima Reactor "would Be like Chernobyl on Steroids" | MyFDL." My FDL | Home. 14 Mar. 2011. Web. 18 Oct. 2011. <http://my.firedoglake.com/kirkmurphy/2011/03/14/nuke-engineer-fuel-rod-fire-atstricken-reactor-would-be-like-chernobyl-on-steroids/>. "Nevada Visitor Statistics." Nevada Commission on Tourism. Web. 18 Oct. 2011. <http://travelnevada.biz/statistics.aspx>. "NRC: Dry Cask Storage." NRC: Home Page. Web. 18 Oct. 2011. <http://www.nrc.gov/waste/spent-fuel-storage/dry-cask-storage.html>. "NRC: Glossary -- Fuel Rod." NRC: Home Page. Web. 18 Oct. 2011. <http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/basic-ref/glossary/fuel-rod.html>. "NRC: Spent Fuel Pools." NRC: Home Page. Web. 18 Oct. 2011. <http://www.nrc.gov/waste/spent-fuel-storage/pools.html>. "Nuclear Energy | Clean Energy | US EPA." US Environmental Protection Agency. Web. 18 Oct. 2011. <http://www.epa.gov/cleanenergy/energy-and-you/affect/nuclear.html>. "OVER 50 NATIONAL & 700 STATE/LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL & PUBLIC INTEREST ORGANIZATIONS OPPOSED TO THE YUCCA MOUNTAIN NUCLEAR WASTE DUMP." Nuclear Information and Resource Service. Web. 18 Oct. 2011. <http://www.nirs.org/radwaste/yucca/yuccaopponentslist.htm>. Papay, Lawrence T. "The Science and Politics of Radioactive Waste Disposal." The Bridge: Linking Engineering and Society 33.3 (2003): 3-4. Print.

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"Public Law 107 - 200 - Joint Resolution Approving the Site at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, for the Development of a Repository for the Disposal of High-level Radioactive Waste and Spent Nuclear Fuel, Pursuant to the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982." U.S. Government Printing Office Home Page. Web. 18 Oct. 2011. <http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/PLAW-107publ200/content-detail.html>. "Summary of the Nuclear Waste Policy Act | Laws and Regulations | US EPA." US Environmental Protection Agency. Web. 18 Oct. 2011. <http://www.epa.gov/regulations/laws/nwpa.html>. Tetreault, Steve. "Eureka County, Nevada -- Yucca Mountain Timeline." Eureka County, Nevada -- Yucca Mountain.org. Web. 18 Oct. 2011. <http://www.yuccamountain.org/time.htm>. Wald, Matthew L. "Yucca Mountain." Times Topics - The New York Times. 30 June 2010. Web. 18 Oct. 2011. <http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/national/usstatesterritoriesandpossessions/nevada/yu cca-mountain/index.html>. Waymire, Stuart D. "Yucca Mountain: The Battle For National Energy Policy." Yucca Mountain: The Battle For National Energy Policy. Web. 18 Oct. 2011. <http://www.yuccamountainexpose.com/>. Zimmerman, Michael E. "Introduction To Deep Ecology." Interview by Alan AtKisson. In Context: A Quarterly of Humane Sustanable Culture. Summer 1989. Web. 18 Oct. 2011. <http://www.context.org/ICLIB/IC22/Zimmrman.htm>.