Dear Yucca Activists,

I crunched some numbers on Yucca and here is what I get. This may prove a valuable argument against Yucca. While these numbers are ball park based on current info. The concept of taxpayer obligation holds up.

Finances:
Currently there are 46,000 metric tons of high level nuclear waste from U.S. reactors. The fee generated and collected by utilities is currently at $18 billion. Yucca Mountain will have space for 63,000 metric tons (from commercial reactors). Extrapolating from these figures, another $6.6 billion will be generated from the 17,000 metric tons to be generated (63,000 - 46,000 = 17,000). A projected total revenue of approximately $24.6 billion will be generated by utilities. The current cost of Yucca Mountain is estimated at $58 billion, this leaves a shortfall of $33.4 billion which will become taxpayer obligation. Yucca will not pay for itself. A yes vote for Yucca Mountain places this tax burden on the American People.

Michael J. Keegan
Coalition for a Nuclear Free Great Lakes

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