Experts say Minnesota’s geology perfect for nuke waste repository
by Bob Geiger, Staff Writer, Finance & Commerce
May 26, 2010 3:26 PM CDT
Minnesota’s geology makes the state a fine prospective resting place for the nation’s spent nuclear fuel rods and other radioactive waste.
The state “has some of the oldest rock in North America. Nothing has changed much in this part of the country,” said Dr. Charles Fairhurst, founder of Minneapolis-based Itasca Consulting Group.
Founded in 1981, Itasca Consulting Group is an engineering, software development and geo-mechanical consultancy that employs more than 100.
It has 13 offices in 11 countries and has worked for big-name clients — the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission for one — on projects that include permanent radioactive waste repositories.
That’s where spent nuclear fuel rods and other waste is stored forever.
In theory — and past consideration by the U.S. government — Minnesota is a prime candidate to succeed Nevada’s Yucca Mountain as the storage facility for spent fuel rods from U.S. nuclear power plants.
