How would the nuclear waste be transported to the Yucca Mountain site?
Specialized containers must be developed to safely transport high-level waste. These containers, called casks, are the primary insurance against the release of radiation during transport. They must be heavily shielded to contain the radioactive material with allowable limits. They must be certified by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to withstand extreme accidents, impact, puncture, and exposure to fire and water. The casks are being designed to meet legal weight limits. DOE is in the process of developing casks to transport commercial spent fuel from nuclear power plants to the nation’s first high-level waste repository. While the Department of Energy has said transportation decisions won’t be made until Yucca Mountain is deemed technically sound, many options are under consideration. The waste may be transported via rail or truck, or using a combination of the two; the decision has not been made. In one scenario, DOE would build a rail spur heading southwest from Carlin toward
