How many long-term commercial below-ground nuclear waste depository sites are currently operational in the United States?

The correct answer is that there are currently zero long-term commercial below-ground nuclear waste depository sites operational in the United States. This situation arises from a combination of regulatory, technical, and public acceptance challenges that have hindered the development of such facilities.

In the United States, the management of nuclear waste is a complex issue. The Yucca Mountain site in Nevada was designated as the primary repository for high-level nuclear waste, but the project faced significant opposition and regulatory hurdles, leading to its suspension. While there are some temporary storage sites for nuclear waste, none has been successfully established as a long-term solution designed specifically for the disposal of commercial nuclear waste in deep geological formations.

Other proposed sites and concepts have been explored, but none have transitioned into operational status as long-term depositories that meet the stringent safety and environmental standards required for such projects. This has resulted in the accumulation of nuclear waste at various power plants and temporary facilities rather than a dedicated long-term storage solution.