June 20, 2003

The Department of Energy’s Spent Nuclear Fuel Canisters and Transportation Casks

The Department of Energy manages about 2,500 metric tons of spent nuclear fuel generated from research and development, plutonium production, and the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program (Naval Reactors). Under current national policy, the Department is to permanently dispose of its spent fuel in an underground repository, but an appropriate repository is not expected to be available until at least 201 0. Until then, the Department plans to consolidate its spent fuel at interim storage sites deemed to have the most appropriate skills, facilities, and technologies: the Hanford Site in Washington; the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory; and, the Savannah River Site in South Carolina.}e