The U.S. stores about 90,000 tons of nuclear waste across 100 sites, primarily awaiting a permanent disposal solution. Despite the 1987 enactment designating Yucca Mountain as the storage site, funding ceased due to political opposition, halting progress. As nuclear power becomes more appealing with rising emissions concerns, urgency mounts for resolving nuclear waste storage. In March 2025, the Supreme Court reviewed arguments concerning temporary storage solutions, but the settlement of this decades-old question likely remains unresolved for years, intensifying the focus on safe disposal methods for nuclear waste.
"The 94 nuclear reactors currently operating at 54 power plants continue to generate more radioactive waste... This renewed interest gives new urgency to the effort to find a place to put the waste."
"Political and legal challenges led to construction delays for the Yucca Mountain site designated for nuclear waste, with Congress ending funding altogether in 2011."
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