US Dangles Radioactive Carrot for Nuclear Waste Burying Sites

The U.S. Department of Energy is actively seeking volunteer states to host permanent geological repositories for nuclear waste. This initiative is coupled with proposals for new nuclear reactors, waste reprocessing facilities, uranium enrichment, and data centers, aiming to offset the undesirable nature of a waste facility with significant investments and job creation. This marks a policy shift, prioritizing local community decisions on waste disposal. President Trump aims to significantly expand U.S. nuclear power capacity by 2050 to meet surging electricity demands from artificial intelligence and electrified transport.

Historically, finding a permanent home for nuclear waste has faced strong local opposition, exemplified by the halted Yucca Mountain project in Nevada. Despite previous failures, the U.S. and other nations like Britain, Canada, China, and Sweden are championing small modular reactors (SMRs) for faster and cheaper deployment. However, these new designs do not inherently solve the waste problem. Public acceptance of nuclear energy hinges on assurances of safe waste disposal, with Finland nearing the opening of the world's first permanent repository in Olkiluoto, followed by Sweden and Canada.

Spent nuclear fuel, stored temporarily on-site in the U.S., amounts to about 2,000 tons annually from its 90 reactors. Taxpayers have already compensated utility companies over $11.1 billion for this storage. While reprocessing spent fuel can reduce waste volume, it introduces security risks and does not eliminate the need for permanent disposal. The challenge of dismantling older sites like Scotland's Dounreay also highlights the long-term complexities and costs associated with nuclear waste management.