How does the United States dispose of nuclear waste?
Because of the differences in levels of radioactivity, disposal of low-level and high-level wastes is handled in different ways. Low-level waste is placed in shallow burial sites that are regulated. States that produce low-level waste are responsible for disposing of it. High-level waste from nuclear power plants is mostly in the form of spent fuel. Spent fuel is now stored in specially designed pools of purified water at the reactor site. The water serves as a radiation shield and removes heat from the spent fuel. Although the present method of storing spent fuel has been proven safe, available storage space is filling up. The Department of Energy is working closely with industry to find the best solution to this problem. Using existing technology, it is possible to design, construct, and safely operate a high-level waste repository. The Department of Energy is currently studying Yucca Mountain in Nevada to determine whether the environmental characteristics of the site make it suitab
