The final step in the waste management process is waste disposal, the permanent isolation of waste. Some wastes can be managed and disposed safely with existing facilities and proven methods. DOE has conducted extensive research into alternative waste disposal methods and has concluded that deep geologic disposal is the best method to dispose of the most radioactive waste.
Geologic disposal is the permanent burial of radioactive waste in a stable, deep, rock formation.
The disposal areas, or repositories, will be designed to contain and isolate high-level and transuranic radioactive waste. A combination of natural features and man-made components will be used to create a series of barriers to prevent the release of radionuclides into the surrounding environment. In 1987, Congress directed DOE to study Yucca Mountain, Nevada, to determine whether it is a suitable location for the Nation's first deep geologic repository for high-level waste. The Yucca Mountain site, which is near the Nevada Test Site, is far from large population centers, has a very dry climate, and has an extremely deep water table. Scientists are studying Yucca Mountain's geology and environment, and a number of social, transportation, and economic issues.