ATLANTA - The U.S. government is seeking trains to haul radioactive waste from nuclear power plants to disposal sites. But the trains have nowhere to go.
"We know we're going to have to do it, so you might as well do it," said James Conca, senior scientist at the geoscience and environmental consulting firm UFA Ventures Inc. He has monitored a waste disposal site, helped design another, and worked on cleanup efforts. Putting the cart before the horse, the U.S. Department of Energy recently asked companies for ideas on how the government should get the rail cars needed to haul 150-ton casks filled with used, radioactive nuclear fuel.
They won't be moving anytime soon. The latest government plans call for having an interim test storage site in 2021 and a long-term geologic depository in 2048. No one knows where those sites will be, but the Obama administration is already thinking about contracts to develop, test, and certify the necessary rail equipment.
Energy Department officials did not return messages seeking detailed comment. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Department of Transportation share responsibility for regulating shipments.
The Energy Department expects the cars could last 30 years, run at standard speeds on regular tracks, and be used up to eight times annually. The tracks were supposed to lead to a depository at Yucca Mountain in Nevada, but the administration canceled a project that was criticized as inadequate and was opposed by many Nevadans.