Key Issues
Safely Managing Used Nuclear Fuel
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January 2009
Key Facts
January 2009
Key Facts
- All the used nuclear fuel produced by the U.S. nuclear energy industry in 50 years of operation—approximately 60,000 metric tons—would, if stacked end to end, only cover an area the size of a football field to a depth of about 7 yards.
- Used fuel is a solid material that is stored safely and securely at nuclear power plant sites, either in enclosed, steel-lined concrete pools filled with water, or in steel or reinforced concrete containers with steel inner canisters.
- The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission determined that used fuel could be stored safely at power plant sites or central storage facilities for at least 120 years. Diligent monitoring and maintenance of safety systems ensure public health and safety are protected.
- Advanced technologies are being developed to recycle used nuclear fuel. These technologies would reduce the amount of radioactive byproducts in the material, while recovering valuable energy, but would not completely eliminate the byproducts. Under any used fuel management scenario, disposal of radioactive byproducts in a permanent geologic repository is necessary.
- Congress and President Bush approved Yucca Mountain, Nev., as the site of a federal geologic repository for used nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive defense waste in 2002. In June 2008, the U.S. Department of Energy submitted to the NRC a license application to build the repository. The application was accepted by the NRC and is now under technical review. Provided the application is approved, DOE will construct and operate the facility.
