Nuclear waste delivers a political haymaker. No country in the world has done this,” Oklahoma officials said in the state’s proposal. With midterms looming in November, POLITICO spoke with elected officials and technical experts about each state’s disposal proposal for tackling the generational scientific, regulatory and political challenge. A 2020 paper co-authored by Macfarlane found few areas of the U.S. have optimal conditions for borehole waste disposal. “Salt is a good geologic medium for high-activity nuclear waste disposal,” he said.