U.S. radioactive waste remediation efforts

The United States is conducting large scale remediation projects to remove radioactive waste from various sites.

In Utah, the Department of Energy has removed 17 million tons of radioactive waste and contaminated material from a uranium processing facility near the Colorado River. This material, which originated from operations between 1956 and 1984, has been transported via rail to a secure storage site at Crescent Junction to prevent environmental contamination. While primary piles are cleared, excavation of contaminated soil is expected to continue through 2029.

In Pennsylvania, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has begun transporting contaminated soil and radioactive materials from the Shallow Land Disposal Area in Parks Township. The waste, stemming from uranium and plutonium processing activities between 1960 and 1970, is being characterized with X-ray machines and loaded into steel containers. The material is moved by truck to Wampum, Pennsylvania, before being transferred to rail cars for transport to a disposal facility in Clive, Utah.