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Readers Note — This webpage attempts to present how DOE complied with the requirements of the the Nuclear Waste Policy Act (NWPA) and the National Environmental Policy Act concerning the preporation of various Environmental Impact Statements for the proposed Repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada.

Yucca Mountain EIS Description — Geologic Repository for the Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel and High-Level Radioactive Waste at Yucca Mountain, Nye County, Nevada Environmental Impact Statement - Document Number: DOE/EIS-0250

Background —The Nuclear Waste Policy Act (NWPA) requires the Department of Energy (DOE) to assess the potential environmental impacts from construction, operation, and closure of a Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) licensed geologic repository for disposal of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste. The above referenced Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) was required to support DOE's site recommendation to the President, as per Section 114 of the NWPA.

Section 114 of the Act describes the process for obtaining site approval and construction authorization. As part of this process, DOE has conducted hearings in the vicinity of Yucca Mountain and received public comments regarding a possible recommendation of the site. Following these hearings and completion of site characterization activities, the Secretary of Energy did recommend approval of the Yucca Mountain site to the President. [PDF, 46 Pages]. As allowed under the Act. the Governor of Nevada also issued a Notice of Disapproval of the designation of Yucca Mountain in Nevada as the site for the nation's high- level nuclear waste repository.

After the decision was made to recommend the Yucca Mountain site, the Secretary made available to the public, and submit to the President, a comprehensive statement of the basis for selecting Yucca Mountain as the site for the national repository. Pursuant to Section 114(a)(1)(D) of the Act, this comprehensive statement included the Final EIS prepared for the Yucca Mountain Site pursuant to Section 114(f) and the National Environmental Policy Act. The analysis of potential environmental impacts in this EIS supported DOE's site recommendation to the President and the President's ultimate decision recommending to Congress that the Yucca Mountain site be developed as a geologic repository.

EIS Updates — Yucca Mountain

As noted above the final EIS was issued in February 2002. Of note, when the NWPA was amended (i.e., in 1987) the amendment directed DOE to evaluate only Yucca Mountain as a candidate disposal site. The Act also restricted the analysis of alternatives that the EIS must consider. To assist with meaningful comparison of potential impacts associated with the proposed action, the EIS evaluated a No Action alternative and three thermal loading implementing alternatives: (1) high thermal load; (2) intermediate thermal load, and (3) low thermal load. The EIS included an evaluation of the environmental impacts of surface and subsurface construction, operation, and eventual closure activities, as well as national and regional transportation and various packaging options for shipping spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste.

Repository [Suplementail] SEIS — On August 21, 2015, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) issued a Supplement to the U.S. Department of Energy's Environmental Impact Statement for a Geologic Repository for the Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel and High–Level Radioactive Waste at Yucca Mountain, Nye County, Nevada, Draft Report For Comment (NUREG-2184). This Suplementail SEIS addresses any potential environmental impacts on groundwater and impacts associated with the discharge of any contaminated groundwater to the ground surface due to potential releases from a geologic repository for spent nuclear fuel and high–level radioactive waste at Yucca Mountain, Nye County, Nevada. [Read the Federal Register Notice - March 2015] [More Information from the NRC] and [Public notice federal register documents]

Repository [Suplementail] SEIS — In October 2007, DOE issued two additional Draft National Environmental Policy Act documents related to the Yucca Mountain Project. The first document, the Repository SEIS, is a supplement to the Yucca Mountain Final EIS that DOE issued in 2002 (see above). The Repository SEIS evaluates the potential environmental impacts of constructing and operating the Yucca Mountain repository under the repository design and operational plans that have been developed since the Yucca Mountain Final EIS was issued. Repository SEIS [12 MB, PDF] Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for a Geologic Repository for the Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel and High-Level Radioactive Waste at Yucca Mountain, Nye County, Nevada

    ABSTRACT: DOE's Proposed Action is to construct, operate, monitor, and eventually close a geologic repository at Yucca Mountain for the disposal of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste. Under the Proposed Action, spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste in storage or projected to be generated at 72 commercial and 4 DOE sites would be shipped to the repository by rail (train), although some shipments would arrive at the repository by truck. The Repository SEIS evaluates (1) the potential environmental impacts from the construction, operations, monitoring, and eventual closure of the repository; (2) potential long-term impacts from the disposal of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste; (3) potential impacts of transporting these materials nationally and in the State of Nevada; and (4) potential impacts of not proceeding with the Proposed Action (the No-Action Alternative).

Nevada Rail Corridor SEIS — The second document relates to the transportation of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste in Nevada and contains two parts. The first part, the Draft Nevada Rail Corridor SEIS, considers the potential environmental impacts of transport along the Mina corridor, which was analyzed in response to public comments. It also updates the information and analysis for other Nevada rail corridors evaluated in the Yucca Mountain Final EIS. The second part, the Draft Rail Alignment EIS, evaluates the potential environmental impacts of constructing and operating a railroad along specific alignments for both the Mina and Caliente corridors, although Caliente is the Department's preferred corridor [See Caliente 2004 EIS ROD]. [See Map]

June 2008 — Nevada Rail Corridor SEIS [12 MB, PDF]

    ABSTRACT: The Nevada Rail Corridor SEIS (DOE/EIS-0250F-S2) analyzes the potential impacts of constructing and operating a railroad to connect the Yucca Mountain repository site to an existing rail line near Wabuska, Nevada (in the Mina rail corridor). The Nevada Rail Corridor SEIS analyzes the Mina rail corridor at a level of detail commensurate with that of the rail corridors analyzed in the Final Environmental Impact Statement for a Geologic Repository for the Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel and High-Level Radioactive Waste at Yucca Mountain, Nye County, Nevada (DOE/EIS-0250F). The Nevada Rail Corridor SEIS also updates relevant information regarding other rail corridors previously analyzed in the Yucca Mountain FEIS (Carlin, Jean, and Valley Modified) to identify any significant new circumstances or information relevant to environmental concerns.

    The Rail Alignment EIS (DOE/EIS-0369) analyzes the potential impacts of railroad construction and operation along common segments and alternative segments within the Caliente (selected in a previous Record of Decision, 69 Federal Register 18557) and Mina rail corridors for the purpose of determining an alignment for the construction and operation of a railroad for shipments of spent nuclear fuel, high-level radioactive waste, and materials from an existing rail line in Nevada to a geologic repository at Yucca Mountain. The Rail Alignment EIS also analyzes the potential impacts of constructing and operating support facilities.

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