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Scientists considered burying nuclear waste under the ocean floor. This option could be viable because deep within the ocean floor, the radiation from the waste would not harm people or the environment.

One of the problems associated with this option includes the difficulty of recovering the waste, if necessary, once it is emplaced deep in the ocean. Also, establishing an effective international structure to develop, regulate, and monitor a sub-seabed repository would be extremely difficult.

Beyond technical and political considerations, the United States signed the London Convention in October 1993. This international agreement, which remains in force until 2018, places prohibitions on disposing of radioactive materials at sea. After that time, the sub-seabed disposal option can be revisited at 25-year intervals.