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Ever since Obama shuttered Yucca Mountain once and for all earlier this year, the question of which locale will inherit the dubious mantle of 'Nation's Nuclear Waste' depository has remained a hot one. As it is, radioactive materials continue to accumulate onsite at nuclear power plants around the nation.
But it seems a new site is arising as a contender to be the nation's nuclear waste dump--even though it would most certainly rather not be. It's Savannah, South Carolina. Grist reports:
| That state is home to the Savannah River Site, a nuclear materials processing center along the Savannah River 25 miles southeast of Augusta, Ga. Built during the 1950s to refine nuclear material for weapons, the site no longer has any operating nuclear reactors and is engaged in cleanup activities. |
So why is this of particular concern? Didn't I note in this very article that there are indeed plenty of other sites with lingering nuclear waste stores around the country? Indeed I did, and there's reason to be wary (if not necessarily worried) about what happens to all of them. But this is a case of a site that no longer even operates the nuclear reactor--its waste is more liable to be poorly regulated and stored. Essentially, we have a site that is nothing more than a toxic waste dump already. Hence:
Given the demise of Yucca Mountain, business leaders in South Carolina and Georgia are expressing worries that high-level waste at the Savannah River Site may now be left there permanently. Scientists have warned about potential environmental contamination from long-term storage of such highly radioactive waste in the Savannah River watershed.
From there, it's no small leap to surmise that the site might attract interest from the many who are eager to find a permanent storage location. The SRS Community Reuse Organization, a nonprofit involved in local economic matters, has hinted that there might be interest in making Savannah the next Yucca. A recently report issued says "if and when a panel is assembled to plot a new strategy for high-level nuclear waste storage, the Savannah River Site region's leaders should get a "seat at the table."
Hello, Yucca 2.0?
Now, nuclear waste is the classic Not-in-my-backyard (NIMBY) problem--nobody seems to really care about what happens to the radioactive stuff so as long as it doesn't end up in their community or region. Which is why you can expect to start hearing some complaints surface from South Carolina any time now. But it doesn't have to be that way--if you want to work towards finding safe, logical ways to store nuclear refuse in the US, stay abreast of the goings-on at the Nuclear Regulatory Committee. They even have a forum for public involvement specifically designed to this end--find out how you can get engaged in the process at the NRC website.
More on Nuclear Waste Storage
Securing Long Term Nuclear Waste Storage "Not an Urgent Problem"
Plan to Import 20000 Tons of Italian Nuclear Waste into Utah Given Go Ahead
