ABSTRACT
The nuclear power industry is creeping past middle age, and not doing it gracefully. Three interlocking political realities shape the debate around decommissioning and decontaminating (D&D) nuclear power facilities: the fact that radioactive waste disposal has reached a standstill; federal agencies, particularly the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, have proposed innovative new regulations which will radically change D&D, and; ongoing tensions between scientists, public, national and local decision makers regarding site-specific nuclear issues. There are three kinds of radioactive waste which are proving to be an intractable problem for the nation: low-level radioactive waste, high-level radioactive waste and mixed waste. There are no commercial facilities accepting low-level radioactive waste at this point in time. Volume reduction has been identified as a possible solution to the low-level radioactive waste disposal problem. Decisions about large environmental and public health issues, with all the attendant uncertainty and complexity that accompany them do not lend themselves to either a standard scientific process or usual political treatment.
