Finland nears opening of first permanent nuclear waste site

Finland is about to open what would be the world's first permanent disposal facility for nuclear waste, the Onkalo repository. Its operating license was granted last month, after construction began 22 years ago. The site can hold up to 6,500 tonnes of spent nuclear fuel, and its canisters are designed to contain the waste for 100,000 years. The report contrasts this with the United States, where more than 90,000 metric tons of spent fuel sit in temporary storage and $50 billion has been set aside for nuclear waste without a permanent site.