Yucca chronology

Thursday, May 9, 2002 | 11:04 a.m.

A chronology of developments on a national nuclear waste repository:

1978 -- First test hole is dug at Yucca Mountain in Nevada as part of a nationwide search for a nuclear waste site.

1982 -- Congress orders development of a permanent national disposal site for waste from commercial nuclear power reactors.

1986 -- Government pledges to take responsibility for high-level nuclear waste from commercial plants by 1989 and narrows potential sites to Nevada, Texas and Washington state.

1987 -- Congress designates Yucca Mountain as the only site to be studied.

1994-96 -- Utilities sue the Energy Department because it won't meet a 1998 deadline for accepting waste. Federal court sides with industry and says government is liable if it fails to meet deadline.

1998 -- Energy department fails to take waste as promised.

2001 -- Interim Energy Department report finds no "showstoppers" in scientific review of Yucca Mountain site. Estimated cost for construction, operation and monitoring over 100 years is put at $58 billion.

February 2002 -- President Bush concludes Yucca Mountain is scientifically sound and announces plans to seek a permit for the waste site.

April -- Nevada vetoes Bush's decision as allowed under federal nuclear waste law.

May -- House votes 306-117 to override Nevada's veto.

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