DOE seeks licensing for Yucca Mountain nuclear waste site

A Minnesota Indian tribe is again echoing the need for a national nuclear waste repository following the formal license application to build an underground storage facility at Yucca Mountain. High-level, radioactive nuclear waste from the nation’s nuclear power plants is currently accumulating at temporary storage sites in 39 different states.

Located just 600 yards from 24 large containment units of highly radioactive spent nuclear fuel, the Prairie Island Indian Community in Red Wing, Minnesota is among the closest communities in the country to a temporary waste site. According to the Department of Energy, there are 125 of these facilities throughout the United States and more than 169 million Americans reside within 75 miles of them.

“The recent filing with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is an important step forward in establishing a permanent storage facility for the nation’s nuclear waste,” said Prairie Island Tribal Council President Ron Johnson. “We urge Congress to commit to a national storage solution and continue funding this vital effort.”