Nuclear Waste - a process called fission generates nuclear waste. Fission occurs when uranium atoms are split into smaller atoms as shown below. A tremendous amount of energy is released, and this energy is used to generate electricity. However, many of the smaller atoms left over are also very radioactive. This all happens in large metal rods called fuel rods. About once every 18 months, the fuel rods have to be removed, but the rods still contain radioactive atoms. A spent fuel rod is nuclear waste. The materials in these rods are called "high-level wastes" because the levels of radioactivity in these materials are very high, making them very dangerous. Presently, spent fuel rods are stored in steel-lined concrete tanks filled with water. Spent fuel rods have been left in the nuclear power plants which generated them for the last 30 years. However, this form of storage is not permanent, and nuclear plants will eventually run out of space for storing spent fuel rods. Nuclear Waste Menu Hear This Section Home © 1999 TeamNuclear