Nuclear waste disposal is one of the quieter challenges within the conversation about nuclear energy. Yet as more countries across the world turn to nuclear power to meet their energy demands, the challenge of what to do with spent fuel from reactors becomes more prominent. The Four Worlds Podcast sits down with Rod Baltzer of Deep Isolation to discuss how they are digging into the earth to find a solution to spent fuel.

Spent fuel contains both the radioactivity and the longevity of its contents. The goal for spent fuel is to keep it isolated from the environment for as long as possible. Deep Isolation looks at how geology and drilling into the earth could play a role in the long-term solution to spent fuel.

A discussion of how deep isolation compares with current models for spent fuel isolation and how some aspects of this model could drastically change the conversation about spent fuel locations. Interestingly, many people already live near spent fuel storage facilities without even realizing it.

From here, the conversation explores the realities of implementing this solution into the management of spent fuel. What has to be proven and what needs to be done before implementing this solution for spent fuel management in the nuclear industry moving forward?