Daniel S. Metlay is an independent researcher in the field of nuclear waste management. He graduated in 1967 from Caltech with a double major in molecular biology and medieval history. He later entered the Ph.D. program for political science at the University of California, Berkeley. While there, he was invited to join a Task Force established by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to develop the first set of goals and objectives for nuclear waste management. Dr. Metlay taught organization theory and public policy at Indiana University and MIT for more than a dozen years. He was later appointed to direct a Secretary of Energy Task Force charged with recommending ways to merit and sustain public trust and confidence in DOE's nuclear waste management program. He then joined the staff of U.S. Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board, preparing reports to Congress and serving as the micro-agency's international liaison. Throughout his career, Dr. Metlay has published over 100 articles, technical reports, presentations, and government documents. He retired in 2018 after three decades of public service.

1. Introduction. Part I. The Waste Management Program In The United States. 2. In the Beginning. 3. Setting the Path. 4. Creating a Regulatory and Legal Foundation. 5. The Rise of the Yucca Mountain Repository. 6. The Fall of the Yucca Mountain Repository. Part II. Lessons from Other Countries. 7. Designing an Implementing Organization. 8. Selecting a Repository Site. 9. Phased Repository Development. 10. Repository Licensing. 11. Addressing Technical Controversies. Part III. What Can We Learn?. 12. To Become a Responsible Ancestor.