Tens of thousands of tons of potentially deadly radioactive waste are being temporarily stored at sites around the United States. The Department of Energy is studying the suitability of storing the waste — which is generated by nuclear power plants and nuclear weapons manufacturing — in tunnels deep under Nevada's Yucca Mountain. But scientists, politicians and community activists disagree over whether the site is leakproof, and whether shipping the wastes to the site by rail or truck will endanger communities in the 43 states along the route. Meanwhile, with President Bush calling for the construction of more nuclear power plants to combat what he calls a national “energy crisis,” the need for permanent storage could become more acute.

Brian Hansen, a freelance writer in Boulder, Colo., specializes in educational and environmental issues. He previously was a staff writer for The Researcher and a reporter for the Colorado Daily in Boulder and Environment News Service in Washington. His awards include the Scripps Howard Foundation award for public service reporting and the Education Writers Association award for investigative reporting. He holds a B.A. in political science and an M.A. in education from the University of Colorado.