ABSTRACT
The public most often responds to the idea of having a high-level nuclear waste (HLNW) facility located near their communities or in their state with fear, distrust, and fierce opposition. A HLNW repository evokes the public's fears about accidents and their potential health and environmental effects, prompts public concerns about economic harms to their communities, and raises questions about declines in their quality of life. Likewise, HLNW from civilian and defense programs are handled, stored, and permanently isolated in a safe, efficient, and economical way. Recognizing the potential for conflict between the federal HLNW program and the states and communities proposed as repository host sites, Congress tried to move beyond the simple model of governmental duty as defined by scientists, engineers, and managers. Department of Energy would act on behalf of the public and advance the development of nuclear technology.
