On Wednesday, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) voted 3-1 to classify depleted uranium a low-level Class A waste, meaning that it is only hazardous for up to 100 years. Depleted uranium is a byproduct of uranium enrichment for nuclear power plants and nuclear weapons. It is unusual in the world of radioactive waste in that it actually increases in radioactivity the longer it sits. According to the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research, depleted uranium has ten times the concentration allowed by the NRC’s definition of Class A waste. The decision was deemed “unsupportable” by Ed Markey (D-Massachusetts), chairman of the House Environment and Energy Subcommittee. One big winner in the decision is expected to be Salt Lake City-based EnergySolutions, which is licensed to dispose of Class-A waste, but nothing higher.