GAO-25-107109: Nuclear Waste (May 2025 PDF)
A May 2025 GAO report examines how the Department of Energy manages nuclear waste from federal sites, highlighting disposal challenges, limited capacity, and the need for a comprehensive long-term strategy.
NWTRB Perspectives on Consent-Based Siting from International Workshop (Mar 2024 PDF)
This report, “Proceedings of the U.S. Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board’s 2023 International Workshop on Siting of Radioactive Waste Facilities” (2024) is a federal workshop summary prepared by the Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board (NWTRB) – an independent federal oversight body created by Congress to review the scientific and technical basis of U.S. nuclear waste […]
NWTRB Summary Report 2022–2024
This report, “U.S. Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board (NWTRB) Summary Report, 2022–2024,” is an official federal oversight report submitted to Congress and the Secretary of Energy. It was prepared by the NWTRB, an independent federal agency created by law to review the science and engineering behind the nation’s nuclear waste program. The report summarizes the […]
Bipartisan Policy Center – Nuclear Waste Policy Work Hub
This webpage is the homepage of the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC), a Washington, D.C.–based nonprofit public policy think tank. Founded in 2007 by former U.S. political leaders from both parties, the organization conducts research and convenes discussions on issues like energy, healthcare, and national security. The site serves as a hub for BPC’s reports, policy […]
PHMSA Interpretation 18-0088 (Class 7 Applicability)
This document is a formal interpretation letter issued by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). It responds to a private party’s request for clarification about how federal hazardous materials regulations apply to radioactive materials during transportation, specifically under 49 C.F.R. Part 173. Interpretation letters like this are part of […]
DOE Consent-Based Siting Activities Update (May 1, 2024)
This document, “Consent-Based Siting Process” (DOE, updated 2023/2024), is an official policy framework issued by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). It lays out how the federal government plans to identify locations for consolidated interim storage facilities for spent nuclear fuel using a “consent-based” approach. Rather than selecting a site, the document describes a multi-stage […]
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) – Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) Overview
This webpage (ceq.doe.gov) is a federal information portal for the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), supported by the U.S. Department of Energy but tied to the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ). It serves as a central access point for NEPA-related resources, guidance, and tools used by federal agencies when evaluating environmental impacts of […]
Moving Forward with Consent-Based Siting for Nuclear Waste
This report, “Consent-Based Siting for Nuclear Waste Facilities”, by the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) is a policy report from a nonpartisan think tank, not a government agency. It summarizes research, stakeholder input, and policy discussions on how the United States might identify locations for interim storage or permanent disposal of nuclear waste using a “consent-based” […]
Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future – Final Report
The Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future (2012 Final Report) is a federal advisory report prepared for the U.S. Department of Energy. The Commission was created by the President to study the nation’s long-standing failure to develop a workable system for managing spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste, following the Yucca Mountain project’s […]
GAO-21-603: Commercial Spent Nuclear Fuel – Congressional Action Could Help Break the Impasse
GAO-21-603 is a federal oversight report issued by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) in September 2021. The GAO is an independent, nonpartisan agency that audits federal programs and provides advice to Congress. This report examines the nation’s ongoing failure to develop a permanent solution for spent nuclear fuel (high-level radioactive waste). The report draws […]