The Department of Energy on Monday announced it has chosen four companies to develop proposals for test sites to explore storing nuclear waste thousands of feet underground.
The eventual test project will not involve any nuclear waste, but one of the primary purposes is to learn about the possibilities of storing spent fuel three miles underground, according to Andrew Griffith, deputy assistant secretary for spent fuel and waste disposition who spoke with reporters on a conference call Monday.
The field test could also provide data about geothermal energy, rock formations, drilling techniques and underground temperatures.
