<Your Name>
<Your address, zip code, phone#, E-mail>

<Date> 
<Recepients address> 
 <City,state,zip>

Dear (the name of the individual you are writing to),

The reason I am writing you is to bring to your attention the tremendous risks and inherent dangers associated with the production of nuclear energy. Currently, nuclear energy benefits the military, the medical, world and the electricity supply for many people. However, the production, transportation, and storage of this energy comes at great risks, placing over 50 million Americans and 43 states in danger (Public Citizen, 2000). As you are well aware, all steps of the nuclear energy process are associated with highly contaminated radioactive wastes, which are scientifically proven to endanger, mutate, and even kill innocent human beings.

I would like to bring to your attention the many clear-cut risks associated with permanent geologic storage of high level radioactive wastes (HLW). To begin, the rock fractures in Yucca Mt. will allow for the release of radioactive gases over time (NIRCS Nuclear Information and Resource Center, 2001); it is suggested that the release of these gases will result in 25,000 additional cancers globally. These same rock fractures also allow water to move quickly through Yucca Mt. according to the Department of Energy's own data as presented in the 1998 "Viability Assessment" (NIRS, 2001). As containers inherently fail, ground water will become contaminated with radioactive materials that pose a severe threat to human health.

The reason for fractures in Yucca Mt. is due to the high level of seismic activity. In only a twenty-year time span, there have been over 600 earthquakes within a 50-mile radius of the proposed storage site. There are 35 active fault lines in the area surrounding the repository, including two that traverse the repository site itself (NIRS, 2001).

Lastly, please take notice that there are lava cones located near Yucca Mt., suggesting the presence of ancient volcanism below the repository. Further evidence supporting the presence of a magma pocket comes from research published in Science August 9, 1991 v253 n5020 p654(4) under contract with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Global positioning satellites have confirmed that the Earth's crust is expanding in and around the Yucca Mt. region. Science concluded that this evidence is consistent with the presence of a magma pocket under Yucca Mt.

In conclusion, why would one promote and accept the permanent burial of HLW in such a geologically unsuitable area? There is superfluous data supporting the above claims, and they should be taken seriously. I feel strongly that Yucca Mt. is not suitable for HLW disposal, and supporting the DOE's decision to do so would endanger the lives of millions of innocent human beings.  I demand a reponse from you as to why this repository is still being futher developed at the cost of U.S taxpayers.

Sincerely,
<Sign name here>
<Type name here>

Nuclear Information and Resource Service (NIRS), 2001.  Received from the World Wide Web. Available: http:// www.nirs.org