RENO, Nev. — Federal nuclear regulators say permanent closure plans for Yucca Mountain met all the necessary objectives in safety evaluations completed before the Obama administration pulled the plug on the Nevada waste dump.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission released a long-awaited staff report Thursday that says the high-level radioactive waste facility that had been planned northwest of Las Vegas meets all post-closure design requirements.
The 781-page document concludes multiple natural and man-made barriers would adequately protect public health and groundwater, and sufficiently guard against sabotage or human intrusion.
Nuclear energy industry leaders say the report is a milestone that should jump-start congressional spending to renew the licensing effort Congress and the White House cut off in 2010.
Nevada Sens. Harry Reid and Dean Heller say they'll make sure that doesn't happen.
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