Abstract: The invention pertains to apparatus for severing elongated radioactive cables into short sections for waste storage purposes. During operation the apparatus is submerged within a water shield and the cable to be cut is guided into feed rollers driven by an electric motor. The feed rollers and a shear are operated by a common electric motor, and indexing mechanism intermittently rotates the feed rollers in synchronization with the shear operation. The feed roller movement is reversible permitting removal of an enlarged cable end incapable of passing through the rollers.