Safe disposal of radioactive waste is required in all countries using nuclear power, radioactive materials in medicine and in industry or research. This contribution presents an overview of the strategy of final disposal of radioactive waste and summarizes the procedure and present status in Germany. It is concluded that the safe disposal of radioactive waste is feasible but that the public demand for safety has to be met by applying a stepwise, transparent, and traceable development procedure for a repository in a safety case to obtain regulatory and public approval.

Safe disposal of radioactive waste is required in all countries using nuclear power, radioactive materials in medicine and in industry or research. This contribution presents an overview of the strategy of final disposal of radioactive waste and summarizes the procedure and present status in Germany. It is concluded that the safe disposal of radioactive waste is feasible but that the public demand for safety has to be met by applying a stepwise, transparent, and traceable development procedure for a repository in a safety case to obtain regulatory and public approval.