Currently Peach Bottom’s Nuclear Plant is holding nearly tens of thousands of used fuel rods in their spent fuel pools, making these pools nearly 75% full. Some of those rods have been in the fuel pool since 1976, according to Krista Connelly, spokeswoman for the southern York County power plant.

But with nowhere off-site to store the fuel, Connelly said Peach Bottom is running out of places to put it.

“In its current configuration, Peach Bottom has enough storage space in its existing spent fuel pools and its dry cask storage facility to accommodate normal refueling operations until 2019,” Connelly said.

When Peach Bottom nuclear plant went online in 1974, there was no industry developed plan for where plants were going to store their spent fuel. Congress set a deadline for the DOE to start moving waste to Yucca Mountain by 1998. Since this date has long come and gone operators have had to find different ways to store their spent fuel.

Meanwhile at Peach Bottom, Connelly said, the company is discussing how it might be able to store more waste at its facility.

“We’re definitely looking at what our options would be if we have to continue on site,” she said.