As of April 2008, the United
States accumulated about 56,000 metric
tons of spent nuclear fuel from nuclear
reactors. In addition, there will
be about 22,000 canisters of solid
defense-related radioactive waste
for future disposal in a repository.
To put this in perspective, if we
were to take all the nuclear waste
produced to date in the United States
and stack it side-by-side, end-to-end,
it would cover an area about the
size of a football field to a depth
of about ten feet.
By the year 2035 this amount will
increase to an estimated 119,000
metric tons.
Under current regulations, a total
of 70,000 metric tons of spent nuclear
fuel and solid high level radioactive
waste will be placed in Yucca Mountain.
However, our Environmental
Impact Statement considered all
the waste that could accumulate in
the United States from the reactors
that are currently operating.
Last reviewed: 04/08
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