LETTER: Nuclear power and Yucca Mountain
The north portal of the Yucca Mountain exploratory tunnel. (Las Vegas Review-Journal)
In your Saturday editorial, the Review-Journal endorsed Sweden’s decision to bolster its energy security and meet its environmental goals by building more nuclear power plants. The implication is the United States should do the same.
Doing so demands a solid plan for safely managing spent nuclear fuel. Nevada has a key role in that pursuit, as Congress has designated Yucca Mountain as the safest, most effective way to isolate this material for millennia. Unfortunately, partisan politics has starved that project of the funds necessary to complete the licensing and construction of the repository. It’s time to take action to reverse these impediments to secure our energy security and reduce carbon emissions.
