Image: United States Department of Energy photo, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Located about 100 miles northwest of Las Vegas, Yucca Mountain sits adjacent to the Nevada Test Site (NTS), and directly in the heart of America’s nuclear development landscape. On the surface, it looks like a remote ridge of volcanic rock, but beneath it lies one of the most complex and controversial chapters in America’s nuclear history.
While Yucca Mountain was not a nuclear weapons production plant or test detonation site, it addressed a long-standing dilemma of the nuclear age: how to safely isolate radioactive waste that remains dangerous for thousands of years.
Waste generated by nuclear weapons development and nuclear power had to be managed somewhere, and Yucca Mountain became the focus of that effort as a natural place for geological research, radiation studies, and underground engineering tied to nuclear weapons development.
1950s-1960s: Yucca Mountain entered the nuclear conversation because of its proximity to the Nevada Test Site. During this period, federal scientists, under the oversight of the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), conducted geological and radiological studies throughout southern Nevada. At Yucca Mountain, researchers studied its volcanic rock formations to understand how radiation behaves underground and how rock responds to stress from nearby testing. These early studies laid the scientific groundwork for future decades.
1982: Radioactive waste from nuclear weapons production and commercial nuclear power was starting to accumulate across the country. In response, Congress passed the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 (NWPA), officially signed into law on January 7th, 1983, which directed the government to find permanent disposal sites for high-level nuclear waste. Yucca Mountain was identified as one of several locations (in addition to sites in Washington and Texas) to be studied for long-term waste isolation.
1987: Congress amended the Nuclear Waste Policy Act in 1987, naming Yucca Mountain as the only site to be studied for a national nuclear waste repository. This decision (often referred to as the ‘Screw Nevada Bill’) eliminated other potential sites and focused all attention on Yucca Mountain. From this point forward, Yucca Mountain became a national symbol of nuclear waste controversy.
1990s-2000s: The federal government launched the Yucca Mountain Site Characterization Project (YMP), which marked the most active period at the site. The main question at this time was this: could Yucca Mountain safely contain waste for thousands of years? To answer this question, they had to physically study the mountain from the inside out. Workers excavated more than five miles of tunnels, including a large horseshoe-shaped tunnel known as the Exploratory Studies Facility (ESF). This allowed scientists to drill deep boreholes to directly observe the rock and conduct extensive testing to evaluate groundwater movement, seismic and volcanic risks, long-term radiation containment, tunnel stability and rock behavior. This research was especially important because Yucca Mountain is made of volcanic tuff, not solid granite.
2002: After extensive studies of the mountain, the U.S. Secretary of Energy formally recommended Yucca Mountain as a nuclear waste repository, and Congress approved the recommendation. However, legal challenges and state opposition continued to delay progress. Reasons for delays included concerns about groundwater contamination, seismic and volcanic risk questions, changing federal priorities and strong opposition from Nevada officials and Tribal Nations.
2010: After years of continued opposition and despite billions of federal dollars spent on research and development, the repository was never opened. Federal funding for the repository was largely halted amid political opposition, unresolved safety concerns, and sustained resistance from Nevada officials and Tribal Nations. Although the project stopped moving forward, the site itself did not close.
2010-Present: Today, Yucca Mountain remains under U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) control. No nuclear waste has ever been stored there, but the tunnels, data, and infrastructure still exist. The site continues to be maintained, monitored, and secured. Scientific data collected during decades of research is still referenced in discussions about nuclear waste policy.
Yucca Mountain became a flashpoint for environmental and community concern. Residents, Tribal Nations, and state leaders raised alarms about groundwater contamination, earthquake risks, and the transportation of radioactive waste through populated areas. For many Nevadans, the project symbolized decades of nuclear burden placed on rural and downwind communities concentrated in one region.
The Western Shoshone Nation, Timbisha Shoshone Tribe, and Te-Moak Tribe of Western Shoshone are among the key Tribal Nations that have opposed Yucca Mountain. Their objections are rooted in treaty rights and land sovereignty, cultural heritage and spiritual values, environmental justice concerns, and long-term health, safety and resource concerns, not just local politics. These important voices and issues raised have shaped public awareness and policy debates around the project for decades.
At its peak, the project employed thousands of workers including engineers, miners, geologists, drill operators, electricians, mechanics, health physicists, and support staff. Even though the repository never opened, the work itself created real exposure risks from the characterization work, not from stored waste.
Work done for the YMP was physically demanding and hazardous. Workers involved in the project faced occupational hazards that included silica and volcanic rock dust from tunneling, diesel exhaust from underground environments, heavy machinery and industrial chemicals, and low-level radiation exposure. Over time, these conditions have been associated with respiratory illnesses, lung disease, cancers, and other chronic health problems, particularly among workers with prolonged underground exposure.
The Yucca Mountain site is an approved location for The Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program or the EEOICPA White Card Program.
As of September 2026, Yucca Mountain Site workers have received over $209 million in EEOICPA compensation and medical bills paid.
Official source
U.S. Department of Labor (OWCP) — EEOICPA Program Statistics
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A: The Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act (EEOICPA) is a federal program administered by the U.S. Department of Labor that provides compensation and medical benefits to workers (and their survivors) who became ill as a result of exposure to radiation, beryllium, silica, or other toxic substances while employed at covered Department of Energy (DOE) sites.
A: Yes. The Yucca Mountain Site Characterization Project is a designated covered facility under EEOICPA, meaning workers employed there by the DOE or its contractors/subcontractors may be eligible for benefits.
A: You may be eligible if you: worked at Yucca Mountain as a DOE employee, contractor, or subcontractor,
were diagnosed with a covered illness (e.g., cancer, chronic beryllium disease, chronic silicosis) linked to your exposure at the site, or are a surviving spouse, child, or other eligible family member of a qualifying worker who has passed away.
A: Part B, a lump-sum payment of $150,000 plus medical expense coverage for radiogenic cancers, chronic beryllium disease, or chronic silicosis. Part E, up to $250,000 based on wage loss and impairment for illnesses caused by toxic substance exposure, plus medical benefits. Combined maximum, up to $400,000 across Parts B and E. Medical care, ongoing treatment for approved conditions, including access to a "White Card" for covered medical services.
A: Claims are filed through the U.S. Department of Labor's DEEOIC office. You'll need proof of employment at Yucca Mountain during the covered period, medical records documenting your diagnosis, and documentation establishing a causal link between your illness and your work exposure. Assistance is available through DOE Resource Centers, EEOICPA advocacy organizations, and specialized attorneys.
A: Visit the Trusted Ally blog for updates specific to Yucca Mountain, or contact a regional DEEOIC Resource Center through the U.S. Department of Labor.