West Valley, NY: case study in reprocessing's environmental devastation

West Valley, New York is the only site in the U.S. to ever carry out commercial radioactive waste reprocessing. In six short years of operation, from 1966-1972, it massively contaminated its surrounding environment. A comprehensive 2008 report, "The Real Costs of Cleaning Up Nuclear Wastes: A Full Cost Accounting of Cleanup Options for the West Valley Nuclear Waste Site," has documented that protecting the Great Lakes downstream will cost a whopping $10-27 BILLION! Additional background information on the history and current status of West Valley can be found at the website of Nuclear Information and Resource Service.

International reports on the status of reprocessing worldwide

The International Panel on Fissile Materials has published a collection of comprehensive reports detailing the status of reprocessing in a number of countries that currently do it (Russia, the U.K., France, and India) are soon to (Japan), or are flirting with the idea of doing so again (the U.S.).