Solving the nuclear waste dilemma requires staying the course over decades with a technically complex and politically sensitive program. In spite of setbacks over the years, the Yucca Mountain Project was surprisingly resilient, surviving four administrations from Ronald Reagan to George W. Bush. Things were looking up when the Department of Energy submitted its license application to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in June 2008. This optimism proved to be short-lived.

“Yucca Mountain is not an option,” Steven Chu told a Senate hearing in March 2009. Chu had six weeks under his belt as the newly appointed Secretary of Energy for the Obama Administration. After more than 25 years and a $10 billion investment at Yucca Mountain, Secretary Chu’s sole explanation was, “I think we can do a better job.” He did not cite technical or safety issues, nor did he identify alternatives. The new Energy Secretary subsequently announced that a Blue Ribbon Commission would be created to obtain advice on the path forward. Among insiders, this became known as the “anything but Yucca Mountain” commission.