Status of radioactive defense waste legislation

This paper addresses legislation on the management as opposed to the regulation of defense and civilian nuclear waste excluding mill tailings. In contrast to earlier legislation, the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 deals comprehensively with the storage and disposal of spent fuel and high-level waste from commercial sources, primarily from the nuclear power industry. One of the most important provisions of the Act may be the mechanism for resolving conflicts that are likely to develop between the national and local interests in the siting of waste facilities.