Nuclear Waste

Some features of other countries' approaches to nuclear waste disposal may offer insight for the United States, but a variety of economic, political, geographic, and other factors must be considered in deciding whether these features warrant further exploration and possible adaptation to the U.S. program. Governments around the world support the use of geologic repositories as the best method for disposing of highly radioactive waste, but no country has yet build an operational facility. All the countries GAO visited had experienced problems with their waste management programs, and most do not plan to have a repository until 2020 or later. Differences exist between the U.S. and foreign approaches to repository development. For example, all the countries GAO visited have addressed the issue of temporary waste storage, thereby relieving pressure to quickly build a repository. Also, other countries often involve nuclear facilities in their repository development programs and allow waste managers much flexibility in developing their technical and engineering repository concepts. Finally, several countries are exploring the use of long-lived engineered barriers--fabricated components, such as waste containers--for containing radiation in the repositories they are designing.

GAO noted that: (1) although the other countries' approaches to nuclear waste disposal could offer insights for managing U.S. nuclear waste, the United States needs to consider the social and economic factors that have influenced other countries' nuclear waste program development; (2) although all of the countries reviewed support the use of geologic repositories for disposal of highly radioactive waste, none of the countries have built operational facilities; (3) all of the countries have encountered difficulties with their waste management programs; (4) the most difficult problem in repository development is site selection; (5) Germany is the only country that has a potential repository site, but it faces substantial opposition; (6) several countries have redirected their waste disposal programs in response to significant opposition to proposed research or repository site selection; (7) unlike the United States, all of the countries have addressed temporary waste storage and allowed utilities a high degree of flexibility in developing technical and engineering repository concepts; (8) the ongoing debate over the federal government's responsibilities for nuclear waste storage has seriously affected the repository program; and (9) although many countries are exploring the use of long-lived engineered barriers for containing radiation in their planned repositories, the Department of Energy has limited its research on engineered barriers.