Endeavors to dispose of nuclear waste typically focus on the behavior of the radioactive material very very far into the future: millions of years into the future. But what about five, ten, or one hundred years into the future?

The “near long-term” is the period of time beginning when a nuclear waste repository is constructed, and ending when it is sealed full of radioactive material: this period marks several decades, and is the period of time where potential accidents will affect communities that have “consented” to the waste facility in their midst. The February 2014 accident at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico is a perfect example of what can go wrong in the near long-term.

What are the issues that nuclear waste management organizations must consider in the near long-term—vs. millions of years into the future—and how do organizations and policymakers consider these issues in their plans to safely dispose of nuclear material?