Public Views about Storage and Disposal Options for Spent Nuclear Fuel: Energy and Environment Survey, 2017

Technical Report · Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2018

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/1513521· OSTI ID:1513521

The US currently has about 80,000 metric tons of uranium in 279,000 used fuel assemblies from commercial spent nuclear fuel (SNF), most of which is stored “on-site” at or near power plants where it was produced. On-site storage facilities were not designed to provide a permanent solution for the disposal of spent nuclear fuel, and building a permanent disposal facility will likely take decades. Therefore, it is important to consider how the US public views options for constructing one or more storage facilities for safely consolidating and storing SNF in the interim. The 2017 iteration of the Energy and Environment survey (EE17) by the Center for Energy, Security, & Society (CES&S) included a battery of questions that measure public views about SNF storage and disposal options. The questions gauge general support for continued on-site storage, interim storage, and permanent disposal. EE17 also measured support for several of the specific sites under consideration, including the two private initiatives for interim storage of SNF in New Mexico and Texas. In addition, EE17 respondents provide insight into the factors likely to affect broader public support for these initiatives as the siting process unfolds, including public views about the importance of support for a prospective facility by host communities and host state residents.

• Research Organization: Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Univ. of Oklahoma, Norman, OK (United States). Center for Energy, Security, and Society
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-94AL85000
• OSTI ID: 1513521
• Report Number(s): SAND-2018-0794R; 660184
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS