Disposal Subcommittee Report to the Full Commission DRAFT

The Disposal Subcommittee of the Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future has
commenced to address a set of issues, all of which bear directly on the central question: “How can the
United States go about establishing one or more disposal sites for high-level nuclear wastes in a manner
and within a timeframe that is technically, socially, economically, and politically acceptable?”
To answer this question and to develop specific recommendations and options for consideration by the
full Commission, the Subcommittee and individual Commissioners held multiple meetings and
deliberative sessions; visited Finland, France, Japan, Russia and Sweden to learn first-hand about their
disposal programs; and heard testimony from numerous experts and stakeholders. The Subcommittee also
benefited from commissioned papers on several related topics; these papers may be found on the
Commission web site at www.brc.gov. All of these inputs have helped to inform the conclusions and
recommendations that are summarized below and detailed at greater length in the Subcommittee’s full
report.