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Nuclear Waste

Learn about how the federal government regulates harmful nuclear waste and how nuclear waste is stored.

Transcript

Nuclear waste, also known as radioactive waste, is a broad term that applies to radioactive byproducts from nuclear power plants, hospitals, or research facilities. Uranium fuel that has been used but can’t generate enough heat to continue to produce energy, also known as spent nuclear fuel, is considered a nuclear waste. Because nuclear waste is radioactive, the waste can potentially pose health and safety issues for hundreds, thousands, or even millions of years, depending on how long it...