The Morphology and Mythology of Nuclear Waste Containment in the American West

In this conversation, we explore the creative power of rock, clay, soil, and salt in catacomb architecture designed to contain nuclear waste. Scattered across the American West, these man-made structures resemble meso-American pyramids and ancient subterranean crypts designed to function at 1,000-to-10,000-year timescales and beyond. These structures are becoming cultural ancestors of the far future, hidden in the undersoil. While the conversation of “nuclear waste disposal” may seem like stale talk of some bygone era, these burial sites are in an infantile stage, built only thirty years ago or less, while many are still under construction. To an untrained eye, some of the finished structures have disappeared into the background of space and time without a trace, while others are starting to creak and moan demanding closer attention. In this regard, there is a fresh call for us to reconsider what combinations of sedimentary engineering strategies, active maintenance, and aesthetic myths may be needed to ensure their structural mortality and persistent radioactivity do not harm future generations.

Speaker: Morgan Williams, Applied Carbon