Key Issues
Nuclear Waste Disposal
Used Nuclear Fuel and Low-Level Waste
Integrated Used Fuel Management
Under an integrated management approach, used nuclear fuel will remain stored at nuclear power plants in the near term. Eventually, the government will recycle it and place the unusable end product in a deep geologic repository.
Storage of Used Nuclear Fuel
Currently, used nuclear fuel is stored at the nation's nuclear power plants in steel-lined, concrete pools or basins filled with water or in massive, airtight steel or concrete-and-steel canisters.
Recycling Used Nuclear Fuel
The federal government plans to develop advanced recycling technologies to take full advantage of the unused energy in the used fuel and reduce the amount and toxicity of byproducts requiring disposal.
Repository Development
Under any used fuel management scenario, disposal of high-level radioactive byproducts in a permanent geologic repository is necessary.
Transportation
The U.S. Department of Energy will transport used nuclear fuel to the repository by rail and road, inside massive, sealed containers that have undergone safety and durability testing.
Low-Level Radioactive Waste
Low-level waste is a byproduct of the beneficial uses of a wide range of radioactive materials. These include electricity generation, medical diagnosis and treatment, and various other medical processes.
