An Overview of the U. S. Department of Energy's Waste Management Program

The purpose of this paper is to describe the nuclear waste management program of the Department of Energy (DOE) including the effect of the recent report of a Presidentially-appointed Interagency Review Group (IRG) on the program. The paper summarizes the historical background of some key issues relating to nuclear wastes; lists the major recommendations of the IRG report; and reviews the elements of the DOE program and the changes which might be made as a result of the IRG report.