During the Cold War the United States produced nuclear materials and generated nuclear wastes without considering their ultimate disposal. Since the end of the Cold War, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), which was responsible for the manufacture of nuclear weapons, has begun the arduous task of dispositioning legacy nuclear wastes, nuclear materials that will not be used in weapons, and the highly radioactive fuel from nuclear reactors.
DOE encourages input from the public to help resolve the technically
and politically challenging issues of nuclear waste and excess
nuclear materials. The links on this page provide sources for
information on sites throughout the DOE weapons complex and the
issues they face as the country approaches the millennium.
Many sites in the DOE complex store legacy waste or nuclear materials.
The sites must determine how these wastes and materials will be
handled and how the environment will be cleaned up.
Office of Environmental Management responsible for waste management, environmental restoration, and nuclear materials and facilities stabilization at the DOE weapons complex sites
Fernald Environmental Management Project
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Los Alamos National Laboratory
Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site
Several additional sites are being considered for the disposal of nuclear wastes and materials. Many government agencies and offices are involved in determining what those sites will be, what the criteria for accepting wastes will be, and how the wastes will be transported from their present locations throughout the country to these disposal sites.
National Transuranic Waste Program administers nationwide generation/storage site programs for characterizing, transporting, packaging, storing, and disposing of transuranic waste
Waste Isolation Pilot Plant
is designed to dispose of transuranic radioactive waste left from
the research and production of nuclear weapons
DOE Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management The Nuclear Waste Policy Act (1982) and its amendments directed the Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management within the Department of Energy to develop, construct, and operate a system for spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste disposal, including a permanent geologic repository, interim storage capability and transportation system
Yucca Mountain
is being considered as the federal repository for high level waste
and spent nuclear fuel
Nevada Test Site being considered for low level waste disposal and interim storage of other wastes/materials
Several government agencies and organizations regulate or oversee the handling of nuclear materials and wastes.
U.S. EPA Radiation Protection Division is responsible for protecting the public and the environment from the effects of ionizing radiation
Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board is responsible for independent, external oversight of all activities in DOE's nuclear weapons complex affecting nuclear-related health and safety
U.S. Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board provides independent scientific and technical oversight of the U.S. program for management and disposal of high-level radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel from nuclear power plants
Nuclear Regulatory Commission has responsibility for regulating various commercial, industrial, academic, and medical uses of nuclear energy. NRC provides information on a wide variety of nuclear issues:
Standard Review Plan for Dry Cask Storage Systems
Radioactive Waste: Production, Storage and Disposal
National Academy of Sciences Board on Radioactive Waste Management provides scientific and technical analyses to inform national and international decisions on management and disposal of nuclear wastes
International Atomic Energy Agency an agency of the United Nations, oversees international issues related to nuclear weapons, energy, and waste
DOE produces many fact sheets and aids to the public in understanding the issues. Only a few are provided here.
Nuclear Materials and Facility Stabilization
Environmental Management at the Nevada Test Site