The Problem of Disposing of Nuclear Low-Level Waste: Where Do We Go From Here?

A problem has developed in nuclear waste disposal. As late as 1975, six commercial low-level nuclear waste burial sites were licensed to operate in the United States. Now only three sites remain; Washington, Nevada, and South Carolina. Of these, two were temporarily shut down during the past year and the third has restricted the annual volume of waste it will receive. Low-level radioactive waste that has been disposed of at burial sites comes from several different sources: institutions, such as hospitals and universities; industry; commercial power reactors; and Federal Government installations.