Yucca Mountain, located approximately 100 miles north of Las Vegas, Nevada has been proposed as a deep geological repository for spent nuclear fuel and high level nuclear waste.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) submitted a license application for construction of the repository to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in 2008.

DRI faculty research has contributed to the evaluation of the suitability of Yucca Mountain as a repository.

However, beginning in 2005 the focus of DRI Yucca Mountain Environmental Monitoring System Initiative (EMSI) has been to develop baseline conditions and design monitoring systems to protect Nevada citizens and the environment if Yucca Mountain is licensed as a repository.

The following summarizes some of the major research accomplishments.