Nuclear security

Nuclear Waste Policy and the Future of Nuclear in America

Currently, 1 in 3 Americans lives within 50 miles of nuclear waste. Above ground and nearing their capacity, small facilities scattered throughout the nation are failing to adequately handle the increasing nuclear waste inventories headed their way.

The United States’ nuclear regulatory regime is ill equipped to handle this ever-increasing problem, leaving the nuclear energy industry at an impasse. Unfortunately that impasse stems from the actions of politicians and legislators acting as nuclear regulators. These leaders often rely too heavily on poor information and misconception, rather than sound science.

The history of nuclear energy has been plagued by public opposition based in fear. This fear emerged with the dawn of the nuclear age, and the destruction of Japanese cities by atomic bombs during World War II. War time events combined with rare and unignorable incidents such as those at Fukushima and Chernobyl only perpetuated the fear of the possible consequences of nuclear energy.