Every nuclear plant stores used fuel on site as the industry awaits the completion of either a consolidated interim storage site or permanent disposal repository by the federal government. Taxpayers are assessed $800 million annually ($2.2 million per day) because of the federal government’s failure to meet its obligation to dispose of used fuel that currently resides at nuclear plants across the country creating a liability that has cost American taxpayers $6.9 billion through 2017.
By their own estimates, the DOE indicates that their total liability is estimated at $34.1 billion. If the government does not find a way to begin satisfying their obligations by 2022. the DOE estimates that the liability will increase by approximately $500 million per year This money is paid out of the U.S. Treasury’s Judgement Fund – a source funded by all taxpayers, regardless of their source of energy, not through an appropriations process or from utility ratepayers.
On-site storage of used nuclear fuel at nuclear power plants was never intended to be permanent. Spent nuclear fuel is being stored at 121 different facilities in 39 states. Each facility has its own security, operations, and maintenance requirements. A single facility would be beneficial because it would consolidate security, operations, and maintenance resources. Also, at some nuclear plant sites, all that remains following the decommissioning and dismantlement of the reactor and other buildings, is the used nuclear fuel. These communities cannot redevelop these former plant sites, resulting in the loss of millions in tax revenue every year.