Illuminating the Decision Path: The Yucca Mountain Site Recommendation

On February 14, 2002, U.S. Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham provided to the President the<br/>“Recommendation by the Secretary of Energy Regarding the Suitability of the Yucca Mountain<br/>Site for a Repository Under the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982.” This Recommendation,<br/>along with supporting materials, complied with statutory requirements for communicating a site<br/>recommendation to the President, and it did more: in 49 pages, the Recommendation also spoke<br/>directly to the Nation, illuminating the methodology and considerations that led toward the<br/>decision to recommend the site. Addressing technical suitability, national interests, and public<br/>concerns, the Recommendation helped the public understand the potential risks and benefits of<br/>repository development and placed those risks and benefits in a meaningful national context.