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Low-Level Waste Disposal
What We Regulate
Low-level waste disposal occurs at commercially operated low-level waste
disposal facilities that must be licensed by either NRC or Agreement
States. The facilities must be designed, constructed, and operated
to meet safety standards. The operator of the facility must also extensively
characterize the site on which the facility is located and analyze how the
facility will perform for thousands of years into the future.
There are three existing low-level waste disposal facilities in the United
States that accept various types of low-level waste. All are in
Agreement
States.
The Low-level Radioactive Waste Policy Amendments Act of 1985 gave the states
responsibility for the disposal of their low-level radioactive waste. The
Act encouraged the states to enter into compacts
that would allow them to dispose of waste at a common disposal facility. Most
states have entered into compacts; however, no new disposal facilities have
been built since the Act was passed.
How We Regulate
NRC and the Agreement States regulate low-level waste disposal through a
combination of regulatory requirements, licensing, and safety oversight. For
more information see the following:
See our
Agreement
States page for more information on the roles of NRC and
the Agreement States in regulating low-level waste disposal and other activities
associated with nuclear materials.
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