The Yucca mountain with the drilling site in view.
Originally ten sites were chosen, out of which three were approved for intensive study.
Yucca mountain was one of the finalists.
The other two sites were Hanford, Washington and Deaf Smith County, Texas.
Spent nuclear fuel and other radioactive waste is currently being stored in dry casks like these.
Furthermore, this money would go directly to the county that housed the dump rather than to the state.
Its seat of government was placed 270 miles to the northwest in Carson City, Nevadas capital.
Location of Bullfrog County (red) in Nevada.
The obvious loser of this legislative plan was Nye County.
In the end, the gambit didnt work.
In 1989, Bullfrog County was dissolved.
Despite all the political and legislative drama, Yucca Mountain became the chosen site for storing radioactive waste.
Consisting of 40 miles of tunnels, the repository will accommodate an estimated 77,000 tons of nuclear waste.
Graphics by the US Department of Energy.
The entrance to Yucca Mountain as in 2007.
Photo credit: Nuclear Regulatory Commission
