Key Issues:

Managing Used Fuel Publication Promo
QUOTABLE:

"About half of the electricity produced in Connecticut comes from nuclear power, the Governor said. Connecticut's energy needs are growing steadily, even as the prices for generating power from such traditional sources as oil and natural gas climb even higher. A sensible and safe long-term storage solution is vital to ensuring that we can continue to rely on nuclear power as a critical element of Connecticut's energy system - and that our homes and businesses can depend on a steady flow of power."


Jodi Rell (R-CT)
Governor of Connecticut
StamfordPlus

Key Issues

Nuclear Waste Disposal

Most used fuel from nuclear power plants is stored in steel-lined concrete pools filled with water, like this one above, or in airtight steel or concrete-and-steel containers.

Used Nuclear Fuel and Low-Level Waste

Used nuclear fuel is a solid material safely stored at nuclear plant sites. This storage is only temporary—one component of an integrated used fuel management system that addresses all facets of storing, recycling and disposal.

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 repository at Yucca Mountain, Nev.

Storage of Used Nuclear Fuel

Currently, used nuclear fuel is stored at the nation's nuclear power plants in steel-lined, concrete vaults 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 vast amount of energy in the used fuel and reduce the amount and toxicity of byproducts requiring disposal.

Yucca Mountain

In 2002, Congress approved Yucca Mountain, Nev., a remote desert location, as the site for a centralized deep geologic repository for used nuclear fuel and other high-level radioactive waste.

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.

Resources and Statistics

Fact sheets, policy briefs, charts, graphs and other resources related to nuclear waste.
Viewpoints on Nuclear Energy
Helpful Links

Graphics and Charts
Yucca Mountain Promo  
Aerial View of Yucca Mountain

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