A clear majority of the US public supports finding a permanent solution for nuclear waste in the country, with 81% of people in a YouGov survey believing it should be a national priority.

The survey, commissioned by nuclear waste management company Deep Isolation and conducted in April, also showed that 28% of people supported a continuation of storing spent nuclear at reactor sites over coming decades.

According to the US Nuclear Industry Council (USNIC) the US has an accumulated 92,500 tonnes of spent nuclear fuel, which is growing by 2,000 tonnes a year. Waste is stored in temporary facilities across 35 states in the US with an estimated liability for US taxpayers of over $150bn (€131bn).

The survey showed continuing strong support from the US public in using nuclear power, with 61% believing it should it be deployed heading into the future.