Since 2013, six commercial nuclear reactors in the United States have
shut down, and an additional eight reactors have announced plans to
retire by 2025. The retirement process for nuclear power plants involves
disposing of nuclear waste and decontaminating equipment and facilities
to reduce residual radioactivity, making it much more expensive and
time consuming than retiring other power plants. As of 2017, a total of
10 commercial nuclear reactors in the United States have been
successfully decommissioned, and another 20 U.S. nuclear reactors are
currently in different stages of the decommissioning process.
To fully decommission a power plant, the facility must be
deconstructed and the site returned to greenfield status (meaning the
site is safe for reuse for purposes such as housing, farming, or
industrial use). Nuclear reactor operators must safely dispose of any
onsite nuclear waste and remove or contain any radioactive material,
including nuclear fuel as well as irradiated equipment and buildings.
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