CRS Report on Nuclear Waste Storage Sites in the United States

The GAO report examined nuclear waste storage sites in the United States. Congressional interest focuses on managing commercial spent nuclear fuel and high-level nuclear wastes. No country has a permanent geologic repository for disposal of commercial spent nuclear fuel or other high-level nuclear wastes.

Nuclear Reactor Fuel Storage Methods

Commercial civilian nuclear reactors use low-enriched uranium oxide to create power through fission. Spent nuclear fuel is removed from the reactor after power production. This fuel is stored in wet storage pools or dry casks. Wet pools keep the fuel cool using circulating water. Most facilities transfer spent fuel to dry casks after an initial cooling period. Dry cask storage does not require active cooling pumps.

Nuclear Waste Storage Status

Commercial nuclear power plants store spent nuclear fuel on site under regulations from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The U.S. Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board estimated that stored spent nuclear fuel at these plants would approximately double by 2048. Twenty six nuclear waste storage sites currently have no ongoing reactor operations. These are called stranded sites because they store waste but lack an operating reactor generating revenue. Some Congress members introduced legislation to address long-term management and storage of spent nuclear fuel. The Department of Energy entered Memoranda of Understanding with five states to establish Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campuses.

Spent Nuclear Fuel Storage Facts

The analysis looked at options for permanent geologic disposal of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste. The report did not include research reactor sites or special nuclear materials like plutonium-239 and uranium-235. Three Mile Island, PA, and Duane Arnold, IA, are sites that have requested the NRC restart operations. These sites are currently listed as commercial spent nuclear fuel storage sites without an operating reactor. No nuclear waste storage sites were found in Alaska or Hawaii.

The report, Nuclear Waste Storage Sites in the United States (IF11201), by Lance N. Larson, is dated November 12, 2026. Read it on Congress.gov.