SECTION MENU    - Nuclear Waste Explained :: Spent nuclear fuel :: High-level radioactive waste :: Key facts about nuclear waste :: How much nuclear waste is in the U.S.? :: Current storage methods :: A more permanent solution   :: Cold war legacy   :: Navy fuel   :: Homeland security :: Disposal options   :: Ocean   :: Space   :: Remote island   :: Ice sheet   :: Reprocessing and     transmutation   RELATED CONTENT :: Nuclear Waste Explained :: History of the Nuclear Waste Program :: Why Yucca Mountain? :: Project Oversight :: Public Involvement :: Site Recommendation and Approval

Our national interests require a more permanent solution to the radioactive waste problem. A small fraction of this waste will remain dangerously radioactive for tens of thousands of years. Some of the structures for temporarily storing the waste are located above ground in densely populated areas and some structures are close to rivers, lakes, and seacoasts.

The surface structures must be continually maintained and safeguarded to keep the waste safely isolated. If not, the waste could eventually break down into microscopic radioactive particles that could travel into the groundwater and nearby bodies of water. Should this occur, 20 major waterways that supply household water and all U.S. coastlines could be at risk, affecting millions of people.

View waste locations by state

Cold War Legacy

Navy Fuel

Homeland Security

• Fact Sheet: Managing nuclear waste: Options considered