GAO Report Urges DOE-EM to Learn from Canada, UK, France, and Belgium in Reshaping Nuclear Waste Cleanup Strategy

The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) noted in a new report that countries such as Canada, France, and the United Kingdom have taken proactive measures in recent years to accelerate nuclear waste cleanup. The report recommends that the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Environmental Management (DOE-EM) engage in strategic exchanges with these countries to identify and evaluate alternative approaches that could reduce risks, lower costs, or expedite cleanup activities. Currently, DOE-EM estimates its cleanup mission could cost between $641 billion and $840 billion and may not be completed until 2100.

The report found that while DOE-EM has some level of exchange with other countries on nuclear cleanup, such exchanges are not strategic and lack a proactive attitude toward learning and drawing on advanced experiences. Some DOE-EM field officials expressed a desire for more opportunities to exchange with other countries, while headquarters officials believed they were typically "teaching" other countries rather than learning from them. Without more effective collaboration with international counterparts, the United States may miss opportunities to adopt innovative approaches that reduce risks and costs.

Canada has adopted a comprehensive strategy for nuclear waste management and adjusted its approaches to accelerate cleanup progress and reduce risks at key sites. France and the United Kingdom have addressed technical and operational challenges by establishing full-scale test facilities, thereby saving funds and reducing disruptions to cleanup operations. For example, the vitrification laboratory in Marcoule, southern France, is used for pilot-scale and other demonstrations of nuclear waste volume reduction, bringing benefits for training and testing scenarios.

Notably, the United Kingdom has implemented several key changes in nuclear waste management policy, including prioritizing the reduction of the highest hazards, emphasizing waste minimization, and focusing on proportionate regulation and oversight. Through the implementation of risk-informed management approaches, the UK has saved at least £2 billion (equivalent to $2.6 billion as of March 2026) and reduced the volume of waste requiring disposal in low-level waste repositories. Belgium has also established a comprehensive national nuclear waste inventory to inform nuclear waste management efforts, including forecasting future stockpiles and storage and disposal needs.