Energy Options: Nuclear (Part 3)

Part 3 - Nuclear Power and Waste

In the third part of this series about nuclear's future as an energy source in the U.S., Chicago bureau chief Diane Eastabrook explains why our ability to use nuclear power is tied to our ability to handle nuclear waste.



Discuss this series on XChange - The NBR Blog.

Want more Energy Options: Nuclear?

Visit the "Nuclear" series home

External Links/Articles*

• Argonne National Laboratory
  Argonne is a "non-profit research laboratory operated by the University of Chicago for the Department of Energy." As Diane Eastabrook explains in her report, Argonne is working to develop a process to recycle uranium waste.
• Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
  The Bulletin is a non-profit public interst group dedicated to security, science & survival. The organization's executive director, Kennettte Benedict, is interviewed in Diane Eastabrook's report.
• Exelon Corporation
  Exelon is an electric utility headquartered in Chicago. This links to information the company offers about its environmental performance and policy, which includes a discussion of waste disposal. The chairman & CEO of Exelon, John Rowe, is interviewed in Diane Eastabrook's report.
• International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
  The IAEA is an independent organization related to the United Nations that works with nations "to promote safe, secure and peaceful nuclear technologies." This links to an IAEA factsheet titled, "What is Radioactive Waste?" It offers definitions of exempt waste, low and intermediate level waste, and high level waste.
• U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)
  The DOE advances energy security in the U.S. and also promotes energy science and technology. The head of the DOE, Samuel Bodman, is interviewed in Diane Eastabrook's report. This links to the section of the Department of Energy website that offers information about the Yucca Moutain Repository for spent nuclear fuel.
• U.S. Senator Harry Reid
  Senator Harry Reid (D - Nevada) is opposed to the federal plan to store nuclear waste in Nevada's Yucca Mountain region. This links to the section of Senator Reid's website that examines the Yucca Mountain issue.
• World Nuclear Association
  The World Nuclear Association is a "private-sector organization that seeks to promote the peaceful worldwide use of nuclear power as a sustainable energy resource for the coming centuries." This links to a section of the association's website that describes "Waste Management in the Nuclear Fuel Cycle."

*Clicking these external links will take you off the NBR web site on PBS.org. NBR has no affiliation with these sites.