Survey shows strong public support for independent nuclear waste management

A recent survey shows that the majority of U.S. citizens offer strong support for the development of an independent authority to handle nuclear waste management.

The survey was conducted between Feb. 18 and March 1, just before the U.S. Senate introduced legislation to modify the federal government’s nuclear waste management program. This legislation, which is a bipartisan movement, would create an independent authority to handle the management of nuclear waste.

The survey showed that 54 percent of Americans believe that this independent authority, which would be a corporate-style board of directors, would be more efficient and effective in handling nuclear fuel storage than a federal agency.

Only 30 percent of those surveyed supported a federal government agency more than an independent authority.

As many as 84 percent of U.S. citizens think that the U.S. should focus more on consolidating the fuel rods currently housed at interim storage containers, as well as to create a facility for permanent disposal. Among those surveyed, 45 percent of Americans strongly agree with this idea, and just 5 percent strongly disagree.

"The public may express changing views about who should manage the storage facilities, but support for consolidating used nuclear fuel has been constant for a long time," Bisconti Research President Ann Bisconti said.

The national poll was conducted by a partnered team of representatives from Bisconti Research Inc. and Quest Global Research.