Therefore, the California Green Party strongly backs Proposition 9, which would repeal the bail-out and would help to create a truly deregulated market. Uncle Sam and the nuclear industry have always been very cozy. According to the proposed bills, ownership of and liability for the HLNW goes to the US taxpayers as soon as it leaves the plant sites. In addition, shipment now would eliminate the need for an expensive extension of storage capacity at the plants. At Diablo, more storage space will not be needed until 2006, if the plant isn't shut down before then for economic reasons in a truly deregulated market.
Irradiated fuel becomes over time less hot, both in terms of temperature and radioactivity.
With current technology, irradiated fuel has to cool off for at least five years in a water filled pool before transportation can even be considered. With all of the above, the transports would become less attractive to sabotage or terrorism, possibly the most worrisome disaster potential. A second transport from a temporary to a permanent site and its inevitable costs and risks would be avoided. These systems appear to be less vulnerable than wet systems, and unlike the pools, do not continuously produce low level nuclear wastes, which also need to be disposed of. Dry systems, however, also do require monitoring at all times.