Nuclear Waste Management
Evolution of Policy
The strategy of geologic disposal for the longterm isolation of spent nuclear fuel and highlevel radioactive waste dates back several decades. In the mid1950s, the National Academy of Sciences considered the disposal of defenserelated highlevel radioactive waste. In 1957, the Academy concluded that radioactive wastes could be disposed of safely in a variety of geologic media within the United States. The Academy noted, however, the technical and institutional uncertainties involved in implementing a geologic repository strategy, and assumed that significant research would be necessary and substantial costs incurred before a final conclusion could be reached on the feasibility, reliability, and…
