Where to Place Nuclear Waste

California Energy Commission Chair Robert Weisenmiller participated in a meeting this week that focused on how to manage the nation’s nuclear waste.

Since spent nuclear fuel is stored at sites in California, Weisenmiller called on the federal government to find solutions for the safe transportation of waste and permanent storage.

That openness and desire for a long-term solution is what the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) wants to hear. The DOE is hosting eight consent-based siting public meetings around the country, with Sacramento, Boston, Chicago, and Tempe being among the sites.

DOE is working to develop solutions for the long-term, sustainable management of the nation’s spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste. DOE is planning for an integrated waste management system to transport, store, and dispose of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste from commercial electricity generation and national defense activities.

To achieve this goal, DOE is implementing a process to site facilities collaboratively with the public, communities, stakeholders, and governments at the state, tribal, and local levels. The meeting in Sacramento was part of an effort to involve the public.

More information can be found at the DOE’s website. Comments can be made to the Invitation for Public Comment in the Federal Register or by emailing consentbasedsiting@hq.doe.gov.