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Panelists say nuclear waste is technically manageable but lacks a political solution
Summary
Holtec and other panelists argued that used nuclear fuel is trackable and stored safely today, but that a political solution for long-term disposal remains unresolved.
Rick Springman of Holtec said the industry already stores much used fuel in robust containers and that technical disposal paths exist, even if a long-term political solution is unresolved.
"We have 70% of The US used fuel in storage in containers that we, you know, hit with aircraft and, do all kinds of other testing on," Springman said, adding that fuel is a "very low density, solid form" and that the industry "categorize[s] and track[s] everything." He called the absence of a permanent repository a political problem rather than a technical one.
Panelists debated terminology and perception: Mayor Westmoreland asked industry to use different language than "waste" to avoid misleading public perceptions, and other speakers urged more outreach to address fear and misinformation among residents.
The panel framed storage as a technical capability allied to careful regulation, and said resolving a final disposal pathway will require political consensus and federal action.
