Management and Disposal of High-Level Nuclear Waste
Wyoming has a record of opposition
to nuclear waste storage
In 1991 the U.S. Department of Energy proposed constructing an MRS facility in
Wyoming. Gov. Mike Sullivan ended the project a year later, citing numerous concerns
that are still applicable today.
In a 1994 University of Wyoming poll, 80.4 percent of Wyoming residents said they
would oppose building a nuclear waste storage facility in the state.
In 1995 the Wyoming Legislature created a specific law to regulate private and federal
nuclear waste storage facilities, resulting in Article 15 of the Environmental Quality Act.
In 1998 a private company wanted to build a facility to store nuclear waste in Wyoming.
Gov. Jim Geringer refused permission for a preliminary feasibility study, as outlined
under Wyoming's law, ending the proposal.
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