Below the layers of Yucca Mountain
A retired USGS geologist shares his experience of working on the publicly misunderstood nuclear waste repository and its geology.

A retired USGS geologist shares his experience of working on the publicly misunderstood nuclear waste repository and its geology.
U.S. Supreme Court rules against Hanford workers’ comp law
The U.S. Supreme Court on June 21 struck down a Washington state workers’ compensation law that was designed to make it easier for workers at the Department of Energy’s Hanford Site to...
Researchers to study how metal-corroding microbes may grow in Canadian repository
Researchers at three Canadian universities are studying whether bentonite clay—used as an engineered barrier in Canada’s proposed deep geological repository—can support sulfide-producing...
Canada demonstrates engineered barrier system for SNF disposal
Canada’s Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) has announced that it has successfully completed a full-scale demonstration of the engineered barriers that are designed to contain and...
South Korea produces first dual-purpose used fuel cask for U.S. customer
Orano TN Americas and South Korean special steel maker SeAH Besteel last week announced the completion and delivery of the first dual-purpose used nuclear fuel dry storage cask manufactured...
IAEA team recommends improvements to Denmark’s radwaste program
An independent review of Denmark’s radioactive waste management program by an International Atomic Energy Agency team found that the country has developed a robust and well-functioning...
International workshop to evaluate geologic repository safety assessment software
Ten teams of scientists from across the globe, including teams from the United States, Canada, Germany, and Taiwan, are virtually comparing software tools developed to assess the safety...
Web campaign advocates for nuclear waste solution
Waste management start-up company Deep Isolation has launched an online campaign to educate the public about nuclear waste and gain support for solving the issue to protect the environment,...
Canada moves closer to selecting spent fuel repository site
Canada’s Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) has completed a deep borehole drilling program at the two sites in Ontario under investigation for potentially hosting a deep geological...
WIPP: Abnormal event declared, no risk to workers or public
The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and Joint Information Center (JIC) were activated on April 9 following an abnormal event that occurred during routine...
NRC to consolidate LLW rulemaking
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission will integrate two separate rulemaking activities concerning the disposal of low-level radioactive waste, issuing a “re-proposed” rule that consolidates...