Earthquakes repeatedly striking proposed US nuclear waste site

Not very surprising, since the Yuka mountains were formed by explosive volcanic eruptions.

https://news.yahoo.com/earthquakes-repeatedly-striking-proposed-us-100105454.html

Emma Snaith
,The Independent•July 19, 2019

Repeated earthquakes could risk releasing deadly radioactivity into the earth if plans for a nuclear waste site in go ahead in Nevada’s desert, the state’s governor has warned.

Tens of thousands of tons of highly radioactive used nuclear reactor fuel are due to be transferred from 35 US states to a new facility in the Mojave Desert.

The Yuka Mountain nuclear waste repository is set to store this material deep within the earth.

But a series of recent earthquakes in the Mojave Desert has raised concerns about the safety of storing radioactive waste at the facility.

On 4 July, a 7.1 magnitude earthquake ruptured the earth in the desert, which stretches across the California-Nevada border.

The force of the quake cracked buildings, sparked fires, damaged roads and caused several injuries in southern California. It was followed by a 6.4-magnitude temblor two days later.

In the wake of the earthquakes, the governor of Nevada Steve Sisolak said he was committed to “fighting any continued federal effort to use Nevada as the nation's nuclear dumping ground".

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