After nuclear fuel goes through a reactor once, it is called spent fuel. Visually, spent fuel looks the same as the fuel that goes into the reactor as it is contained in fuel assemblies containing ceramic fuel pellets. Spent fuel can be stored underwater in spent fuel pools near power plants or be buried deep underground. These pools act both as a shield and a coolant for the fuel. Once cooled significantly, the rods are placed in a dry cask storage. These casks allow for air-cooling of the rods, shielding, and are very sturdy. When stored underground, surveying must be done to ensure that the area is geologically stable so that the waste is not disturbed. The dry cask storage is what we see here.
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