Approved by the Energy, Environment, and Water Policy Committee on April 21, 2026 
Approved by the Public Policy and Practice Committee on May 27, 2026
Adopted by the Board of Direction on July 21, 2026 

Policy

The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) recognizes that hazardous low-level radioactive waste disposal without planning and management endangers public health and the environment. ASCE supports:

  • The early involvement of the public and regulatory agencies at the state and federal level in the siting and development of reliable new disposal facilities for low- level radioactive waste. Disposal methods used should not place an undue burden on future generations.
  • The development of long-term facilities for low-level radioactive waste disposal.
  • The engineered rehabilitation, modernization, and monitoring of existing storage and disposal facilities to continue safely and securely meeting the needs of government and industry and avoiding adverse effects on the environment and the public.
  • Federal and State public agencies to promote research and development of alternate uses of radioactive wastes, including recycling and innovative methods of radioactive waste minimization and disposal.

Issue

Disposal of low-level radioactive waste must protect public health and the environment while ensuring reliable long-term management pathways for higher-activity waste streams. Although licensed disposal facilities remain in operation in the United States, access to disposal is constrained by waste classification, compact arrangements, siting challenges, regulatory uncertainty, and public opposition. As a result, some wastes remains in extended storage at generator or interim facilities that were not intended for indefinite reliance.

Federal policy governing low-level radioactive waste disposal was significantly shaped by the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Policy Amendments Act of 1985, which assigned primary responsibility for disposal to the states and encouraged the formation of interstate compacts. While most states have entered into compacts, the development of new disposal capacity has been limited, and the siting and licensing of new facilities remain difficult. In addition, the disposal pathways for certain higher activity low-level waste streams, including Class B and C wastes, are more limited and require continued regulatory attention to ensure long-term availability and protection.

The continued reliance on extended storage, combined with constrained disposal access and aging infrastructure at some facilities, presents challenges for long-term stewardship. These challenges include maintaining institutional controls, ensuring facility security and resilience, managing costs, and sustaining public confidence. Without coordinated regulatory, technical, and stakeholder engagement efforts, limitations in disposal access may persist, potentially affecting the continued beneficial use of radioactive materials in energy production, medicine, research, and industry.

Rationale

Radioactive wastes require safe, secure, and technically appropriate long-term management and disposal to protect human health and the environment. Extended reliance on storage at generator sites or interim facilities, particularly when such facilities were not designed for long-term use, can shift responsibility to future generations and does not represent optimal waste management practice.

Constraints on disposal access, combined with regulatory, technical, and societal challenges associated with siting new facilities, underscore the need for continued development of reliable disposal capacity and the effective rehabilitation and monitoring of existing facilities. These actions support the safe and beneficial use of radioactive materials in energy production, medicine, research, and industry.

Development of new disposal facilities, along with the continued management, monitoring, and, where appropriate, modernization of existing facilities, is necessary to ensure long-term protection of public health and environment and to maintain public confidence in radioactive waste management systems.

ASCE Policy Statement 262 
First Approved in 1980