Fuel Cycle to Nowhere

Richard Burleson Stewart (environmental law, New York Univ.) and environmental lawyer Jane Bloom Stewart have teamed up to document U.S. policy on the handling and disposal of nuclear waste. Focusing on legislation and litigation, the authors trace the history of nuclear waste processing, pointing out how, through years of neglect and hasty measures, the government has pursued reprocessing without proper regard for financial and environmental consequences. The authors also detail incidents in which workers have been exposed to radioactivity at waste-processing facilities and note radiation containment issues that have affected workers' health. In an age when the media focuses on the environmental and human impact of failures at nuclear-generating facilities, the Stewarts criticize the lack of government regulations and laws designed to protect society from inadequate processing of spent nuclear fuel and radioactive by-products. This book is a wake-up call drawing attention to this important but overlooked aspect of the nuclear-energy industry.