Humans have been using nuclear materials for nearly 50 years. Nuclear reactors and nuclear weapons account for the largest volume of these materials, while industrial, medical, and research applications account for smaller volumes. One of the largest single problems involved with the use of nuclear materials is the volume of wastes resulting from these applications. By one estimate, 8,000–9,000 metric tons (8,816–9,918 tons) of high-level radioactive wastes alone are produced in the United States every year. It is something of a surprise, therefore, to learn that as late as 1982, the United States had no plan for disposing of the radioactive wastes produced by its commercial, industrial, research, and defense operations.

In that year, the United States Congress passed the Nuclear Waste Policy Act establishing national policy for the disposal of radioactive waste. Responsibility for the implementation of this policy was assigned...