Key Issues

Yucca Mountain Licensing Process to Provide Rigorous, Fair Safety Determination

The U.S. Department of Energy has submitted a license application to build a federal repository at Yucca Mountain, Nev., for used nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste. DOE submitted the application to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission in June 2008.
The NRC expects to make a decision on whether to authorize construction within three to four years.
The NRC will use the same approach in reviewing the license application for the Yucca Mountain repository that it has used in licensing the nation’s 104 commercial reactors for safe and secure operations.
In addition, the NRC established a special licensing board to ensure that the views of Nevada and other stakeholders are incorporated.
Nevada state and local government and American Indian tribal officials, as well as other stakeholders, will have an opportunity to participate in the licensing process. All proceedings will be open to the public.
If the NRC approves the repository for construction, the agency will conduct long-term monitoring and performance studies of its operation.
The NRC’s independent licensing review provides an objective means of decision-making on the Yucca Mountain project.

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