Nuclear waste issue heats up again...

The United States has abandoned plans for the Yucca Mountain permanent repository for highly radioactive nuclear waste from nuclear power plants.  There don't seem to be any clear paths for creating an alternative plan or re-starting the Yucca Mountain plans, although some hope that this will happen soon.   Meanwhile, all of the waste that has been accumulating at nuclear reactors for the last 40 years or so is still just sitting there, often in storage containers that were only meant for temporary use. 

Recently, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (the governmental body responsible for regulating nuclear power plants and waste) has had to change its standards to adapt to the reality of nuclear waste storage.  They have had to declare that it is OK for nuclear waste to sit in temporary storage for as long as 60 years, since there's no alternative in sight.

Several states have gotten together and sued the NRC recently, stating that there should be an environmental review of existing sites before the 60-year temporary storage is allowed.  In some locations, the waste is in decaying, poorly maintained containers at old, defunct nuclear power plants with minimal security.  Nearby residents are nervous to have such high-risk materials maintained indefinitely in their communities.  But where else can we put it?


Time Magazine blog entry on the latest lawsuits over waste storage
New York Times coverage