SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — The U.S. Department of Energy is abandoning a test meant to determine whether nuclear waste can be buried far underground because of changes in budget priorities, the agency said Tuesday.

A spokeswoman said in a statement that the agency doesn't intend to continue supporting the Deep Borehole Field Test project, which was meant to assess whether nuclear waste could be stored in approximately 3-mile-deep holes. Officials had stressed it wouldn't involve the use of actual nuclear waste.

Federal energy officials said in December that companies were exploring potential sit...