First U.S. nuclear reactor built from scratch in decades enters commercial operation in Georgia::ATLANTA — A new reactor at a nuclear power plant in Georgia has entered commercial operation, becoming the first new American reactor built from scratch in decades.
We do, Japan, France have been doing it for years. It’s forbidden in US due to the fear of the material being used to make nuclear bombs.
Aha … : https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/france-seeks-strategy-nuclear-waste-site-risks-saturation-point-2023-02-03/
Burrying waste is not exactly clean. Yes, they reduce the waste. But they are also hitting limits and have challenges in increasing capacities.
That is also not really cool. I also find it a bit shady that something is only doable in Russia. That sounds a bit like it’s only possible there, because they ignore safety rules any other country would have in place and we don’t care because “now it’s their problem”.
For what I’m been reading online, that would be a waste of perfectly functioning nuclear material: check Nuclear reprocessing.
It a material remains radioactive means it still has energy in it, so the goal should be using it to the maximum. SMRs for example, might use reprocessed nuclear material at their core.