ABSTRACT
High-level nuclear wastes (HLWs) were generated as a byproduct of dissolving nuclear fuels and separating heavy elements. Most of these wastes generated in the United States are stored in 177 underground tanks (ranging in size up to 1.1 million gallons) at the Hanford Site in southeastern Washington State. Other significant nuclear waste sites in the United States include the Savannah River Site (SRS, near Aiken, South Carolina), the West Valley Demonstration Project (WVDP, near West Valley, New York), and the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL, near Idaho Falls, Idaho). In addition, nuclear fuels reprocessing and defense wastes are generated and stored in many other nations throughout the world.
