Many federal agencies play a role in the Yucca Mountain project, and would continue to act in various roles if the site opens as a permanent repository for spent nuclear fuel and high-level waste. However, the main agencies involved with radiological public health and environmental protection are the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Energy, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and the Department of Transportation. The Yucca Mountain repository would be a Department of Energy facility, however, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission licenses the site and the waste packages used in transportation. The Environmental Protection Agency sets public health and environmental radiation protection standards by which the Department of Energy must abide. The Department of Transportation regulates the methods by which waste is transported to the facility.

For more information about the various agencies that have authority in the Yucca Mountain repository project, see the EPA Yucca Mountain Fact Sheet #4 on the 40 CFR Part 197 Resources webpage.

Return to Frequent Questions about Radioactive Waste: Yucca Mountain.