Includes bibliographical references and index.

Introduction / Allison M. Macfarlane and Rodney C. Ewing -- pt. 1. Policy. -- Nuclear waste story : setting the stage / Thomas A. Cotton -- Regulating the geologic disposal of high-level nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain / William M. Murphy -- Performance assessment : what is it and why is it done? / Chris Whipple -- Performance assessments : are they necessary or sufficient? / Rodney C. Ewing -- Technical policy decision making in siting a high-level nuclear waste repository / Allison M. Macfarlane. pt. 2. Science and technology. -- Earth science. -- The mountain matters / David Applegate -- Volcanism : the continuing saga / Bruce M. Crowe ... [et al.] -- Climate change at Yucca Mountain : lessons from earth history / MaryLynn Musgrove and Daniel P. Schrag -- Hydrology. -- Hot upwelling water : did it really invade Yucca Mountain? / Nicholas S.F. Wilson and Jean S. Cline -- Water and radionuclide transport in the unsaturated zone / June Fabryka-Martin ... [et al.] -- Colloidal transport of radionuclides / Annie B. Kersting -- The importance of mineralogy at Yucca Mountain / David L. Bish ... [et al.] -- Contaminant transport in the saturated zone at Yucca Mountain / Lynn W. Gelhar -- Thermohydrology. -- Thermohydrologic effects and interactions / G.S. Bodvarsson -- The near field at Yucca Mountain : effects of coupled processes on nuclear waste isolation / William M. Murphy -- Waste package behavior. -- Waste package corrosion / David W. Shoesmith -- Drip shield and backfill / David Stahl -- Waste forms. -- Zircaloy cladding / Eric R. Siegmann -- Spent fuel / Jordi Bruno and Esther Cera -- Glass / Werner Lutze -- Storing waste in ceramic / WiIliam L. Bourcier and Kurt Sickafus. pt. 3. Coping with uncertainty. -- The path to Yucca Mountain and beyond / Luther J. Carter -- Uncertainty, models, and the way forward in nuclear waste disposal / Allison M. Macfarlane.