Give Us Your Tired, Your Poor, Your Nuclear Waste

Mr Obaka offered to take the world's nuclear waste yesterday.

And already there are respondents.

Canada jumped at the offer: nuclear radwaste, here it goes -- from Canada -- and here it comes, United States:

To secure a widespread agreement, he (Mr Obaka) needs allies. Mr. Harper obliged, paving the way for what the President hopes will be a flood of other countries who will commit to sending the U.S. their huddled mass of spent enriched uranium for safe storage. "This sets an example of co-operation for others to follow," the Prime Minister said, noting Canada will also save money currently being spent on security.

But here's where the irony comes in, the bit of tongue-in-cheek.

One must naturally ask: does domestic nuclear waste go to any particular location?

Yucca Mountain, in Nevada, is being eyeballed as a repository for domestic nuclear waste storage. That happens to be right in Harry Reid territory. Darn. Imagine that.

But wait; there's more: Harry Reid objects to Nevada being tasked with the storage of national nuclear waste. Certainly, Nevada consists of one big flat-assed desert which essentially produces nothing in terms of contributing to the national foodbasket or other productive aspects.

Nevada has, historically, been all about making money for itself. Via legalized gambling and lower taxes for its residents.

I would ask: what has it managed to give back to the nation? Area 51? Las Vegas? Reno?

Yet Harry Reid objects to Nevada having to pull, now, its own weight. Yucca Mountain? No! he says. He'll do everything he can to block Yucca Mountain.

Otherwise, where is domestic radwaste stored?

From Scientific American:

Currently, without any central repository, nuclear waste generated in the U.S. is stored at or near one of the 121 facilities across the country where it is generated.

Meaning this: if you have a nuclear facility near you, that is where hundreds or thousands of pounds of deteriorating radwaste is languishing, with half-lives of up to 10,000 years.

Because there is no central repository for domestic waste. Thanks to the Demorats.

And Mr Obaka -- a Demorat -- wants to extend his divine arms to encompass the world's nuclear waste?

Where will it go?

I might submit: perhaps someplace, to start, in DC?

BZ

Links:

- Nuclear waste storage;

- Nuke waste storage issues;

- How is nuclear waste stored;

- After Yucca Mountain;

- Safe US storage;

- How to carry US nuclear waste;