Factsheet about DOE High Burnup Research Cask Project (HBURC) dated April 2025.
Consent-based siting consortia support DOE's efforts to facilitate inclusive community engagement and elicit public feedback on consent-based siting, management of spent nuclear fuel, and federal consolidated interim storage. The 12 awardees are comprised of various organizations to help reach communities across the country and remove barriers to participate in DOE's consent-based siting process.
Awardees have made significant progress in carrying out community engagement activities and providing direct grants to communities wanting to learn more.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has established a Tribal Collaboration Initiative (TCI) that will ensure federally recognized Tribes have direct and meaningful input into DOE’s consent-based siting (CBS) process for one or more federal consolidated interim storage facilities (CISFs). Establishing a TCI ensures federally recognized Tribal interests and concerns are directly communicated and accurately represented to DOE, as the agency continues developing the siting process.
Consent-based siting consortia support DOE's efforts to facilitate inclusive community engagement and elicit public feedback on consent-based siting, management of spent nuclear fuel, and federal consolidated interim storage. The 12 awardees are comprised of various organizations to help reach communities across the country and remove barriers to participate in DOE's consent-based siting process.
Awardees have made significant progress in carrying out community engagement activities and providing direct grants to communities wanting to learn more.
Consent-based siting consortia support DOE's efforts to facilitate inclusive community engagement and elicit public feedback on consent-based siting, management of spent nuclear fuel, and federal consolidated interim storage. The 12 awardees are comprised of various organizations to help reach communities across the country and remove barriers to participate in DOE's consent-based siting process.
Awardees have made significant progress in carrying out community engagement activities and providing direct grants to communities wanting to learn more.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is developing special railcars for future large-scale DOE transport of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) from nuclear power plants. Designs include new buffer railcars, the Atlas railcar (to transport SNF containers), and a new escort railcar for security personnel that was developed in collaboration with the U.S. Navy. In May 2024, the Atlas Railcar was officially approved under AAR’s S-2043 standard, which is specific to railcars used to transport high level radioactive material such as SNF.
This is the information sheet for Spent Nuclear Fuel Package Performance Demonstration (PPD).
This is an information poster for PPD stakeholders.
This is a PPD poster with information for Tribes
Mothers for Nuclear Informational Flyer
Understanding DOE’s Critical Decision Process: Progress Toward a Consolidated Interim Storage Facility for Commercial Spent Nuclear Fuel
The critical decision (CD) process is used by the Department of Energy (DOE) to manage the Department’s large-scale, long-term projects, also known as capital projects. CD-0 was recently approved for DOE’s Consolidated Interim Storage Facility project. Learn more about this milestone.
What is Consent-Based Siting?
Consent-based siting is an approach to siting facilities that prioritizes the participation and needs of people and communities and seeks their willing and informed consent to accept a project in their community. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is using a consent-based siting approach to identify one or more sites for federal consolidated interim storage facilities for commercial spent nuclear fuel.
The Forum on Stakeholder Confidence (FSC) was established by the NEA Radioactive Waste Management Committee (RWMC) in 2000 and serves as a platform for understanding stakeholder dialogue and discussing methods to develop shared confidence, informed consent and approval of radioactive waste (RW) management solutions.
Consent-based siting is an approach that seeks communities’ willing and informed consent to accept new development or host a project in their area. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is using a consent-based siting process to identify one or more federal consolidated interim storage facilities for the nation’s spent nuclear fuel, a byproduct of nuclear power generation. Spent nuclear fuel is currently stored at more than 70 sites across the country in communities that did not agree to host the material long term.
Despite being safely transported in the U.S. for more than half a century, many still believe spent nuclear fuel (SNF) is too dangerous to transport. But, in reality, it’s a well-coordinated process with a great track record—and we have the facts to prove it.
The U.S. Department of Energy is pursuing one or more federal consolidated interim storage facilities to store the nation's commercial spent nuclear fuel in the near-term using a multistage consent-based approach that puts communities' interest at the forefront.
What is Consent-Based Siting?
Consent-based siting is an approach that seeks the willing and informed consent of people and communities to host a project in their area. This process is designed to be flexible, adaptive, and responsive to community concerns.
How is DOE using Consent-Based Siting? How can people and communities participate?
This brochure shortly describes the various steps of the nuclear fuel cycle by covering areas from mining and milling to disposal of spent fuel and other radioactive waste.
