Solve Nuclear Waste Now
To protect human life and the environment
To hold government accountable
To ensure a clean energy future
Did you know that all of the spent nuclear fuel in the U.S. has been temporarily stored in casks or pools for decades? While safe, this was never intended to be permanent.
1-in-3 Americans live within 50 miles of this radioactive waste — a problem they never expected to inherit. Now, with the climate crisis, the lack of a waste solution threatens the future of nuclear energy, key to achieving net zero emissions. It’s the government’s responsibility to work with communities to dispose of this waste. The future of our children and our planet depend on it.
Is this the legacy we want to leave?
Let’s Solve Nuclear Waste Now
Americans surveyed in a recent poll* say nuclear waste disposal should be:
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Disposed
When it comes to nuclear energy, more than 50 percent of Americans are most concerned about the lack of a permanent disposal solution for nuclear waste.
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Permanent
Three-in-five would be more likely to support nuclear as a source of clean, carbon-free energy if there were a permanent waste disposal solution.
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Accountable
Nearly 70% of those surveyed said the government needs to uphold its responsibility to dispose of nuclear waste now. (26% are neutral, and the rest disagree.)
Make Your Voice Heard
We’re collecting signatures as a rallying cry to hold our government accountable to solve this issue now. Once we collect a critical mass of signatures, we plan to share this information with elected officials and nuclear policy decision makers to demonstrate that the public DOES care about nuclear waste disposal and wants this problem addressed now.
Sign the #NoTimeforWaste pledge
I believe:
That nuclear waste should be safely disposed of to protect human life and the environment.
That the federal government should take action now and not pass this problem on to our children.
That by solving this problem together we will be supporting a clean energy future.
We will not sell your information to any third party, nor will we post your information publicly.
Quick Facts About Nuclear Waste
Comes from
Nuclear waste comes from sources including: nuclear energy production, radioactive isotopes used in medical applications, and decommissioned nuclear weapons.
Where is it?
Spent nuclear fuel from power plants is stored at 121 sites in 39 states. While it’s safely secured where it is, this is not a permanent solution.
How we got here
Congress passed the Nuclear Waste Policy Act in 1982 to dispose of waste, and in 1987 Congress designated Yucca Mountain in Nevada to be the only permanent repository. Nothing has been done since.
Looks like
Waste from nuclear fuel is metallic solid, not liquid. It looks like a small cylindrical pellet.
Current storage
Spent nuclear fuel is stored in cooling pools for 3-5 years then moved to large dry casks at nuclear power plants.
What's the hold-up?
Construction of the designated mined repository in the U.S., Yucca Mountain in Nevada, is at a standstill due to public and political opposition.
How much
There are more than 80,000 metric tons of spent nuclear fuel stored in the U.S.
Disposal solution
Since 1957, scientists globally have agreed that the best place for nuclear waste is deep underground.
Who's paying?
U.S. electricity consumers and taxpayers have contributed more than $50 billion to the Nuclear Waste Fund.
What Leaders Are Saying
“The federal government has a responsibility to safely store nuclear waste . . . After years of inaction, it’s time to finally take action to solve the issue of where to safely store our nuclear waste.”
— Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)
“We can launch more nuclear projects across the country, we can power more communities with clean energy, we can create millions more jobs and we can make enormous progress on our very bold climate goals. But this is really a matter of will.”
— Jennifer Granholm, U.S. Secretary of Energy
“As we pursue the future of nuclear energy, it is also important that we contend with the federal government’s failure to meet its obligations for spent nuclear fuel. Solving that nuclear waste stalemate is a top priority of mine.”
— Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)
Who We Are
Deep Isolation is a community of environmentalists, scientists, technical experts, nuclear industry veterans and engineers devoted to a common cause: Safe, permanent disposal of the world’s nuclear waste inventory.
