Nuclear Waste: Addressing Legal and Regulatory Barriers Could Accelerate Cleanup and Reduce Costs

The Department of Energy oversees nuclear waste cleanup at U.S. sites—which could last until the year 2100 and cost up to $840 billion.

DOE, the Environmental Protection Agency, and state regulators make cleanup decisions. But a complex legal and regulatory framework has led to inconsistent approaches, regulator disputes, and unachievable requirements. As a result, cleanup efforts are taking longer and costing more.

Clarified roles and better decision making, with input from independent experts, can help by potentially addressing risks decades sooner and avoiding billions in additional costs.

Our recommendations address these issues and more.

Workers at the Department of Energy's Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico

Two workers walk in an underground salt mine.

The Department of Energy’s (DOE) nuclear waste cleanup is proceeding largely under three laws that set cleanup and waste management requirements. Each law has different requirements, applications, and regulators.

Selected Cleanup and Waste Management Laws and Regulators for the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Nuclear Waste Cleanup

GAO and experts GAO convened with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine identified several legal and regulatory factors that affect the cost and schedule of DOE’s nuclear waste cleanup.