US-based nuclear waste storage and disposal company Deep Isolation Nuclear has transitioned its deep borehole repository programme from planning to active field execution by deploying its newly appointed Technology Demonstration Lead, Jon Tedrick, directly to its project site in Cameron, Texas.
This move marks a major shift toward active field operations at the Deep Borehole Demonstration Center (DBDC). The programme represents the world’s first full-scale, at-depth deep borehole commercialisation pilot designed to permanently isolate nuclear waste. Earlier this year, Deep Isolation and its collaborators marked the launch of the project with a groundbreaking ceremony at the DBDC in February.
Jon Tedrick is a drilling veteran with more than 28 years of drilling and project management experience spanning mining, geothermal, environmental and energy applications, including leadership of major drilling programs for the U.S. Department of Energy. As Technology Demonstration Lead, Tedrick is responsible for coordinating field execution activities, supporting engagement with project collaborators and contractors, and helping oversee preparations for upcoming demonstration activities at the Cameron site.
“Throughout my career, I have worked on complex drilling projects across the energy, mining and environmental sectors, but few have combined this level of technical innovation with such an important mission,” said Tedrick. “Relocating to Texas allows me to work closely with our field team as we prepare for the next phase of execution. I am excited to help demonstrate how proven drilling technologies can be applied to address one of the nuclear industry’s most significant challenges.”
The Texas demonstration aims to validate three core elements of Deep Isolation’s repository solution:
- Constructing a deep borehole repository using standard oil and gas drilling practices.
- Testing full-scale canister emplacement and retrieval via the company’s patented Universal Canister System (UCS).
- Practising simulated surface handling operations for advanced and recycled reactor waste.
The deployment is supported by up to $20m in funding via the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) ARPA-E SCALEUP Ready programme. Deep Isolation Nuclear was selected for the ARPA-E SCALEUP Ready support in April to advance commercial deployment of the UCS for integrated nuclear waste management.
The UCS SCALEUP project advances critical national priorities, supporting President Trump’s May 2025 Executive Order 14302, Reinvigorating the Nuclear Industrial Base, which directs DOE to strengthen US nuclear energy leadership and develop permanent solutions for used fuel and high-level waste. The project also directly aligns with ARPA-E’s mission to improve radioactive waste management and maintain US technological leadership in advanced energy technologies.
On-site operations involve a massive industry collaboration. Deep Isolation is executing the pilot alongside the DBDC, Halliburton, Amentum, Westinghouse, NAC International, and Occlusion Nuclear Solutions
Westinghouse serves as the launch customer, working with Deep Isolation and its supply chain partners to secure certification from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to enable the UCS to store and transport used fuel from its eVinci microreactor. Halliburton will lead borehole construction, Occlusion will manage subsurface operations, NAC will lead UCS fabrication, surface operations, and licensing, and Amentum will oversee operational safety and quality assurance, ensuring the system is ready for commercial deployment.
“The Cameron demonstration programme is an important milestone in our path to commercialisation and a critical opportunity to validate our technology at full scale,” said Rod Baltzer, CEO of Deep Isolation. “As we move closer to field execution, having Jon on the ground strengthens on-site coordination and helps ensure we are prepared to successfully deliver this first-of-its-kind demonstration. His extensive drilling and project leadership experience will be invaluable as we advance toward active operations.”
The company was founded by the daughter-father team of Elizabeth Muller (CEO) and Richard A Muller (Chief Technology Officer), both prominent energy and environmental experts. It was officially incorporated in the State of Delaware in June 2016, with its main operational headquarters based in Berkeley, California. It established Deep Isolation EMEA Limited in the UK to handle European and Pacific markets, acquired environmental firm Freestone Environmental Services, and went public following an oversubscribed funding round in July 2023.
