How much (or whether at all) a new generation of nuclear reactors should be considered in meeting America’s future electricity needs is a hotly debated topic these days, to say the least. But, in some respects, that’s putting the cart ahead of the horse.

The question of what to do with the nuclear fuel we’ve produced thus far – “high burn-up spent fuel” in industry parlance – remains unresolved. Public perception, driven by some underlying myths, is that we have no idea what to do with the nuclear waste we’ve produced.

The truth is, the answer is staring us right in the face.

The notion of burying used nuclear fuel underground appears to have been finally shelved, given the current Administration’s stance on