New Mexico sues US over proposed nuclear waste storage plans
State officials worry that New Mexico will become a permanent dumping ground for the radioactive material. In all, there's roughly 83,000 metric tons of spent fuel sitting at temporary storage sites in nearly three dozen states. AdThe first phase of the proposed New Mexico project calls for storing up to 8,680 metric tons of uranium, which would be packed into 500 canisters. Future expansion could make room for as many as 10,000 canisters of spent nuclear fuel over six decades. However, the Nuclear Waste Policy Act doesn't allow the Energy Department to take ownership until a permanent repository is in place.