Latest news with #NuclearWastePolicyAct
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Deep Isolation Welcomes Presidential Action to Reinvigorate U.S. Nuclear Waste Disposal Program
BERKELEY, Calif., May 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Deep Isolation, a leading innovator in nuclear waste disposal technology, applauds the suite of executive orders signed by President Donald J. Trump on May 23, 2025, which prioritize revitalizing the nuclear industrial base, accelerating the deployment of advanced reactors, and advancing spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and high-level radioactive waste (HLW) disposal. The executive orders represent a historic federal commitment to unlocking the full potential of nuclear energy, including a clear directive to develop a national policy for managing SNF and evaluating recycling and reprocessing pathways. They task the Secretary of Energy, in coordination with other federal agencies, to recommend near-term actions for SNF disposal and to strengthen the domestic nuclear fuel cycle. These actions signal a shift toward enabling permanent solutions for America's growing inventory of nuclear waste. 'For decades, America's inability to dispose of its nuclear waste has remained an unresolved challenge,' stated Rod Baltzer, CEO of Deep Isolation. 'We welcome the administration's commitment to resolving it. A credible, near-term pathway for permanent disposal is essential, and Deep Isolation ꟷ together with its U.S.-based supply chain partners ꟷ is ready to contribute to this national priority.' Despite over 40 years since the passage of the Nuclear Waste Policy Act (NWPA), the U.S. still lacks an operational geologic repository for SNF. Today, over 92,500 metric tons of SNF remain in temporary storage at more than 70 sites across 35 states, a backlog that continues to grow by approximately 2,000 metric tons each year. More than 27 years overdue, the federal government has still not begun accepting commercial SNF for disposal, with significant financial consequences: $50.4 billion in the Nuclear Waste Fund (NWF) from utility ratepayers remains largely unused. $2 million per day in taxpayer liabilities ꟷ totaling $11.1 billion as of 2024 ꟷ has been paid in legal judgments due to the Department of Energy's failure to meet its obligations under the NWPA. The estimated future liability for failure to dispose of the waste is at least $37.6 billion as of 2024. Deep Borehole Disposal: A Viable, Near-Term Solution Deep borehole disposal (DBD), once confined to laboratory analysis, is now a commercial reality. Thanks to sustained private investment and strategic partnerships, Deep Isolation has advanced this solution from a theoretical concept to a mature system ready to begin the licensing process. The company's patented solution for directionally-drilled deep borehole repositories combines innovation from the U.S. oil, gas and nuclear sectors to provide disposal solutions for long-term nuclear safety. Key enablers include: A robust U.S.-based supply chain comprised of leading firms. The Deep Borehole Demonstration Center in Texas, a public-private nonprofit launched in 2023 to conduct full-scale demonstrations. A licensing-ready system, optimized through Deep Isolation's Universal Canister System (UCS) co-developed with DOE and industry partners. Strategic Partnerships with Recycling Leaders 'Deep Isolation is proud to collaborate with U.S. leaders in reprocessing and advanced reactor fuel cycles,' said Chris Parker, Chief Commercialization Officer at Deep Isolation. 'We welcome the administration's determination to accelerate the implementation of these exciting technologies.' Deep Isolation's existing partnerships with leaders in this sector such as Curio, Oklo and SHINE underscore the administration's recognition that, even after recycling, residual high-level waste remains ꟷ and still requires a disposal solution. Policy Alignment and a Path Forward The new executive orders direct the DOE to bring forward national policies on SNF and HLW management, evaluate private-sector reprocessing options, and identify disposal pathways. They acknowledge what experts, communities and industry leaders have long recognized: permanent disposal is essential, and flexibility in both technology and siting is key. Deep Isolation strongly supports: The launch of a national program for disposal, building on the momentum created by these executive orders and their commitment to public-private partnerships to advance recycling, reprocessing, and disposal capabilities. The emphasis on use of DOE sites as an accelerator for new reactor deployment, which we believe can also valuably be applied to demonstrate disposal technologies. A single deep borehole demonstration at a National Laboratory site, for example, could both establish U.S. first mover advantage in a potential $600 billion global market and permanently dispose of a DOE-owned waste stream. The reform of the NRC to enable faster decision-making while upholding the agency's reputation for scientific rigor, transparency, and highest levels of safety. Deep Isolation's own safety assessments demonstrate that its repository designs, which can be constructed in under two years, significantly exceed the NRC safety standards established for Yucca Mountain, underscoring that speed and safety can and must go hand in hand. 'Recycling can reduce nuclear waste volumes, but only disposal ensures it is safely isolated from people and the environment,' said Baltzer. 'That's why we are investing in permanent, deep geologic solutions. The Executive Orders mark a turning point for American innovation, science, and leadership. We have the tools and the technologies and, with these Executive Orders, we now have the political commitment to act. What we need next is execution. Deep Isolation, together with our supply chain partners, is ideally placed to turn this into reality, and we look forward to collaborating with the Department of Energy to put into practice the exciting vision that the President has set out.' Read the full executive order: Reinvigorating the nuclear industrial base About Deep Isolation Named as one of Goldman Sachs' Top 30 Startups in carbon capture, hydrogen power, and nuclear energy, Deep Isolation is the first company commercializing nuclear waste disposal in deep boreholes. It offers a uniquely tailored solution to help countries complete the necessary steps to dispose of their waste inventories. With 87 patents issued to date, it leverages proven drilling practices to safely isolate waste deep underground in horizontal, vertical, or slanted borehole repositories. Deep Isolation's Universal Canister System (UCS) was developed through a three-year project funded by the U.S. Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy (ARPA-E), and is engineered to support integrated management of spent fuel and high-level waste from advanced reactors across storage, transportation and eventual disposal. Details of Deep Isolation's existing partnerships with US nuclear recycling companies are set out in earlier announcements on the company's website: SHINE Technologies, Curio Legacy Ventures and Oklo Inc. For more information, visit media inquiries, please contact: media@ in to access your portfolio
Forbes
20-03-2025
- Politics
- Forbes
The Supreme Court Will Decide The American Nuclear Industry's Future
The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments earlier this month regarding the legality of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's (NRC) intent to license a high-level nuclear waste storage site in West Texas. This is a case with potentially seismic consequences. The suit, initiated by the state of Texas and Fasken Oil, a local company, alleges that the NRC is overstepping its authority by licensing the new facility. The storage of nuclear waste has been a controversial topic in the United States for decades. This court case may decide the future of America's civilian nuclear program and its green ambitions. Created during an era of rapid nuclear expansion, the 1982 Nuclear Waste Policy Act (NWPA) outlined a process for assessing nuclear waste sites and established how the government would regulate waste disposal. The legislation tasked the Department of Energy (DOE) with building and operating such facilities, making the NRC responsible for licensing all sites. After an investigative period, Yucca Mountain, Nevada, was selected as the site for an American nuclear waste storage facility. During the search period, the Chornobyl disaster occurred in Ukraine, triggering fear in the public, timidity in the industry, and souring national views on nuclear power. Despite this development, the Yucca Mountain project pressed on. In 2002, Congress overruled objections to the plant brought by the state of Nevada. Eight years later, with construction at Yucca incomplete, President Obama's Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced that the administration was abandoning its plans to finish the waste storage facility. The DOE withdrew its licensing application for the site, declaring its intentions to find a more viable location and officially shutting down the project with haste and lack of documentation, which was subsequently criticized by the Government Accountability Office (GAO). US Government spent over 19 billion dollars on Yucca Mountain with zero results for the taxpayer. Since then, American nuclear waste storage has remained in limbo. Nuclear reactor operators in the U.S. are forced to store all waste on-site using one of two methods. Waste is either cooled in water and stored underwater long-term or moved into barrels after initial cooling. Neither of these is a permanent solution. The lack of long-term storage options will inevitably create both practical and financial issues throughout the industry, driving up the cost of nuclear energy for all. After being nearly off the table for the better part of two decades, big tech and the advent of artificial intelligence have revived the dialogue around nuclear power production and its associated waste. Many companies require abundant energy to power data centers, a phenomenon intensified by AI. In trying to meet climate-related goals, the search for large-scale clean power has led companies such as Microsoft, Amazon, and Google to invest in nuclear projects as a reliable, yet environmentally friendly option. The proliferation of fast breeder recycling of spent fuel, already the norm in France and Russia, provides an opportunity to address these problems and make storage easier by reducing the quantities of leftover material. These reactors, recently endorsed by the Argonne National Laboratory, utilize nuclear waste from reactors as recycled fuel, bombarding them again to generate more energy. This reduces supply constraints from uranium, whose enrichment Russia dominates, and reduces the volume of materials that need long-term storage at facilities like Yucca Mountain. The downside is they produce plutonium – which, unlike conventional nuclear waste, can be weaponized. Nuclear reactor production has been increasing, and in late 2024, the federal government announced plans to triple nuclear power production by 2050. Many states, including Texas, welcome the financial rewards of nuclear investment and see it as an industry that could stimulate their economies for years. However, this does not mean that nuclear waste storage has ceased to be an issue. In Texas, eight-year-old plans to create interim waste storage facilities came to the forefront while the debate over long-term facility options continued. The State of Texas opposed the planned use of the site in West Texas shortly after it was publicized in 2016, leading to a lengthy court battle that has now reached the Supreme Court. The ramifications of this case could determine the American nuclear industry's approach to waste storage for the foreseeable future. If the court sides against the NRC and prevents the licensing of the facility, the legitimacy of any future sites can immediately be called into question. At a time when nuclear energy is an increasingly pressing need, uncertainty about waste storage could hamper the expansion of the industry. Ruling against the NRC would also change how complaints can be brought against federal agencies and the reach that those agencies and other licensing bodies have in America. Should the decision go the other way and the NRC prevail, the path forward will be smoother for nuclear power and the tech firms backing it. However, it will also hand more power to federal regulatory agencies at the expense of the states and localities affected by their decisions. It is all about NIMBY (not in my backyard). Fears surrounding the dangers of transporting and storing radioactive material have led local governments to conclude that they do not want nuclear waste storage in their backyards. Nevertheless, the issue cannot remain unresolved if the U.S. is to capitalize on the growing demand for nuclear energy. America possesses the technical expertise and land necessary to store spent fuel safely, securely, and affordably. The Supreme Court's final decision, expected in June, will significantly impact technology corporations, the nuclear energy industry, and federal agencies. At stake is nothing less than the future of America's nuclear power industry.
