Nuclear Waste

Nuclear waste refers to any radioactive material produced by medical, research, nuclear power facilities, or nuclear weapons programs. Nuclear waste can be grouped in two categories: low-level and high-level. Low-level wastes are slightly contaminated materials. A major source of low-level waste is mill-tailings from uranium ore processing. High-level wastes are comprised mainly of spent fuel from nuclear reactors. A small amount of high-level waste is very toxic.

The major concern about nuclear waste is its disposal. Nuclear waste must be stored until the radioactivity has dropped to safe levels without contaminating the surrounding environment. The disposal of low-level waste is done by some form of shallow land burial. The disposal of high-level waste is a more complex problem. The waste is highly toxic and must be stored for several centuries. Currently there are no long-term storage facilities for high-level waste in the United States.

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