Nuclear Energy is a very effective and efficient source of power, but like all other industries the creation of electricity produces waste products. These wastes must be handled with a great amount of care to prevent human injuries and minimize the negative impact on the environment. Though nuclear waste has gotten a very negative reputation, the nuclear energy industry is the only in that takes full responsibility for the clean up of such wastes, a factor that is of consideration due to the tab picked up by the customers.
             Nuclear power is defined as a source that creates a very substantial amount of energy from a rather small amount of fuel consumption. In nuclear power, however, the amount of waste produced is relatively small. The largest problem is that the waste that is produced is radioactive, sometimes extremely radioactive, requiring a great deal of care to manage the waste. Radioactivity is a natural occurring process of particular state of elements called isotopes. It is true that most isotopes are not radioactive, but nuclear energy created isotopes are highly radioactive.
             Three classifications of radioactivity are given: low, medium, and high-level wastes. The type and amount of radioactivity present determine this designation. This, however, is not the only factor in managing the wastes; the time that the wastes are likely to remain hazardous is a big consideration. The time the material remains radioactive is dependent on the kinds of isotopes present. Each material has a naturally occurring half-life, or the time required to effectively decay exactly one half of the starting material. Half-lives of such wastes range from fractions of a second, up into the range of billions of years. Radioactivity of the isotopes decreases as time passes and the isotopes decay into a safe non-radioactive form.
             Low-level waste is generated from many sources. Hospitals, laboratories, and industries, including nucle...