Big holes in the ground cost big bucks. (Graph Exercise).

The big news in nuclear power is garbage--or nuclear waste, to be more precise. In the 45 years since the first commercial nuclear power plant opened, deadly waste has been piling up at sites in 39 states. Earlier this year, after decades of exploration and scientific study, Congress approved Yucca Mountain, in Nevada, as a permanent waste storage facility. But digging a hole in the ground is not as simple, or as cheap, as it may sound. Some $4 billion has been spent studying the Yucca Mountain site. The data in this graph show what the federal government spent on Yucca Mountain studies in selected years. Use the data to answer the questions at the bottom of this page.

Source: U.S. Department of Energy

[GRAPHIC OMITTED]

1. About how much more did the federal government
   spend on Yucca Mountain in 1985 than it did in 19837
   (a) $5 million    (c) $7 million
   (b) $2 million    (d) $13 million.

2. Between which two years did expenditures on Yucca
   Mountain increase by almost $80 million?

3. The graph does not show the amount spent in 2000,
   but that expenditure was almost exactly $8 million less
   than the expenditure in 2001. About how much did the
   government spend on Yucca Mountain in 2000?
   (a) $250 million    (c) $330 million
   (b) $320 million    (d) $199 million.

4. In 1992, the government appropriation for Yucca
   Mountain studies rose by almost 5 percent from the
   previous year: What was the appropriation in 19927
   (a) $170 million    (c) $199 million
   (b) $189 million    (d) $220 million.

5. Suppose the 2002 expenditure for Yucca Mountain
   increases by 10 percent over 2001 and remains at that
   level through 2003. About how much will have been
   spent on the project in these two years?
   (a) $722 million    (c) $500 million
   (b) $328 million    (d) $900 million.

6. Do the data in the graph allow one to infer the direction
   of spending trends in the future?

ANSWER KEY

1. (d) $13 million

2. 1987 and 1989

3. (b) $320 million

4. (b) $189 million

5. (a) $722 million

6. No, the fact that costs have tended to rise does not mean they will continue, to do so.