Our Radioactive Neighbors

How might living next door to nuclear waste shape a community’s future? The United States and other countries around the world are seeking long-term solutions for the spent fuel produced by nuclear power plants. In the process, neighboring communities are being asked to consider whether they are willing to host repositories for storing nuclear waste, and to participate in deliberations about their design, safety, and environmental impact.

What would it mean, day-to-day and for decades or centuries, to share one’s home with nuclear waste? Can communities collectively envision the possibilities it might create, or the risks?

Through science fiction, visual art, and essays by experts in fields ranging from history and public policy to architecture and geology, "Our Radioactive Neighbors" provides resources to help communities imagine their futures and make informed choices about nuclear siting. The book provides insights into the complicated history of nuclear waste management in the U.S, how other countries have approached nuclear waste siting, and the role of nuclear power in our energy system and economy. It also introduces Indigenous ideas about justice, stewardship, and human connections with the land that offer new ways of thinking about our relationships with long-lived nuclear materials.

"Our Radioactive Neighbors" is free to download, read, and share. It was supported by funding from the U.S. Department of Energy under Award Number DE-NE0009331.