Spent Fuel: Myths & Facts

At the dawn of the nuclear era in the 1950's, few members of Congress or other branches of the government were focused on what would happen to spent nuclear materials generated at commercial power facilities or from our atomic weapons program. Most of the scientific community was caught up in the excitement of the new technology and its possible applications. The Atomic Energy Commission, driven by our nation's aggressive Cold War footing, was directed to increase our nuclear weapons stores at "all costs." This headstrong effort sowed the seeds of a significant and long lasting environmental legacy at a variety of sites around the country. The public, whose views of nuclear power were principally framed by visions of exploding atomic weapons, was understandably nervous about what would happen with the materials needed for this new source of power. Disposal options for spent fuel and radioactive waste were not widely discussed in public fora, and those that were considered would have done little to comfort the fears of the public.