William M. Alley

The growing problem of stranded used nuclear fuel.

By 2050, almost all U.S. nuclear reactors will have reached their 60 year maximum expected life. Many will shut down sooner. With no assurance that the current approach for finding a geologic repository or interim storage sites will succeed, used nuclear fuel could be stranded indefinitely at more than 70 sites in 35 states. Societal discussions about the future of nuclear waste should be framed in terms of the relative risks of all alternatives. We review and compare onsite storage, interim storage, and a geologic repository, as well as how these alternatives are presented to the public.

Down in the dumps

A decision to veto an underground repository for the UK shows how hard it is to find a solution to nuclear waste, say William M. Alley and Rosemarie Alley