WorldWideScience

Sample records for long-lived nuclear waste

  1. Transmutation of long-lived nuclear waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abrahams, K.

    1992-10-01

    Nuclear waste disposal in geologically stable repositories is considered to be safe and effective, and the assumptions, which lead to very long term predictions seem to be satisfied. As possibilities to perturb repositories, can never be entirely excluded, it could be an attractive option to reduce the toxicity of waste by supplementing the uranium-plutonium cycle with minor actinide burning cycles. In this option the amount of mining waste is limited at the same time because uranium is used economically. If requests for reduction of long-lived actinide waste would result in much higher costs for nuclear energy, the innovative thorium-uranium cycle might become competitive. It is of vital interest that efforts are now being internationalized in networks to make proper use of experience from past civil and military programs. Visions for almost pollution-free energy production could arise if well prepared minds are concentrated on this issue. (author). 5 refs., 2 figs., 1 tab

  2. Technologies for destruction of long-lived radionuclides in high-level nuclear waste - overview and requirements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arthur, E.D.

    1993-01-01

    A major issue surrounding current nuclear power generation is the management and disposal of long-lived, high-level waste (HLW). The planned and scientifically acceptable destination for this waste is in deep underground, geologically stable, repositories. However, public concerns surrounding such disposal of long-lived nuclear wastes and other issues such as proliferation and safety negatively affect the potential role that nuclear power can play in meeting current and future national energy needs. This paper and this topical session on nuclear waste minimization, management, and remediation focus on two nuclear systems and their associated technologies that have the potential to address concerns surrounding long-lived radionuclides in HLW. Both systems offer technology applicable to HLW from current light water reactors (LWRs). In addition, these systems represent advanced nuclear power concepts that have important features associated with integrated management of wastes long-term fuel supplies, and enhanced safety. The first system is the integral fast reactor (IFR) concept. This system incorporates a metal-fueled fast reactor coupled with chemical separations based on pyroprocessing to produce power while burning long-lived actinide waste. The IFR applications include the burning of actinides from current LWR spent fuel and energy production in a breeder environment. The second concept, accelerator transmutation of waste (ATW), is based on an accelerator-induced intense source of thermal neutrons and is aimed at the destruction of long-lived actinides and fission products. This concept can be applied to long-lived radionuclides in spent-fuel HLW as well as a future fission power source built around use of natural thorium or uranium as fuels coupled with concurrent waste destruction

  3. Proposed partitioning and transmutation of long-lived nuclear wastes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Van Tuyle, G.J.; Rawlins, J.A.

    1991-01-01

    A means of transmuting key long-lived nuclear wastes, primarily the minor actinides (Np, Am, Cm) and iodine, using a hybrid proton accelerator and sub-critical lattice, is proposed. By partitioning light water reactor (LWR) spent fuel and by transmuting key elements, such as the plutonium, the minor actinides, and a few of the long-lived fission products, some of the most significant challenges in building a waste repository can be substantially reduced. The proposed machine would transmute the minor actinides and the iodine produced by 75 LWRs, and would generate usable electricity (beyond that required to run the large accelerator) of 850 MW e . 14 refs., 10 figs

  4. Technologies for destruction of long-lived radionuclides in high-level nuclear waste: Overview and requirements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arthur, E.D.

    1993-01-01

    This paper, and this topical session on Nuclear Waste Minimization, Management and Remediation, focuses on two nuclear systems, and their associated technologies, that have the potential to address concerns surrounding long-lived radionuclides in high-level waste. Both systems offer technology applicable to HLW from present light-water reactors (LWR). Additionally these systems represent advanced nuclear power concepts that have important features associated with integrated management of wastes, long-term fuel supplies, and enhanced safety. The first system is the Integral Fast Reactor (IFR) concept. This system incorporates a metal-fueled fast reactor coupled with chemical separations based on pyroprocessing to produce power while simultaneously burning long-lived actinide waste. IFR applications include burning of actinides from current LWR spent fuel and energy production in a breeder environment. The second concept, Accelerator Transmutation of Waste (ATW), is based upon an accelerator-induced intense source of thermal neutrons and is aimed at destruction of long-lived actinides and fission products. This concept can be applied to long-lived radionuclides in spent fuel HLW as well as a future fission power source built around use of natural thorium or uranium as fuels coupled with concurrent waste destruction

  5. Intrinsically secure fast reactors for long-lived waste free and proliferation resistant nuclear power

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Slessarev, Igor

    2008-01-01

    This paper provides description of a nuclear reactor concept aimed towards a radical safety enhancement, an increased proliferation resistance, as well as a realisation of a 'long-lived waste free' NP development. It emphasizes the achievement of considerable reduction ('by design') of residual actinides in the waste streams and of the most hazardous long-lived fission products. It allows to implement only small volume of repositories for the radioactive waste (mostly fission products) and to postpone the technically arduous problems of a large scale disposal of the long-lived wastes until the next millennium, i.e. up to the exhaustion of the fertile natural resources and/or the emergence of more effective technologies of nuclide separation/transmutation. A thorough incineration/transmutation of the wastes (residual actinides in the mixture with lanthanides as well as of the most hazardous fission products) under reactor neutron flux is proposed for their mass reduction. A gradual growth of NP park is necessary for increasing the NP park capacity for waste irradiation. This 'constraint' is not really limiting because it coincides with the permanently growing demands in energy production. The potential of long-lived waste reduction depends on the total fertile fuel resources and on NP growth rate. It was shown that the accumulated actinide long-lived radioactive masses will be reduced significantly: by factor in the range of 10 4 -10 8 in magnitude (compared with LWR once-through cycle) and by 10 2 -10 6 (compared with the ordinary fast reactor park). Thus, the total long-lived waste toxicity pollution source might be comparable with the 'burnt away' toxicity of the natural fertile feed stream. This is quite realistic taking into account the large fertile fuel (U/Th) world-wide resources which provide the NP growth for a sustained time. Along side with the radical intrinsic safety improvement, a further enhancement of core physics ('neutronics') is one of the

  6. Transmutation prospect of long-lived nuclear waste induced by high-charge electron beam from laser plasma accelerator

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, X. L.; Xu, Z. Y.; Luo, W.; Lu, H. Y.; Zhu, Z. C.; Yan, X. Q.

    2017-09-01

    Photo-transmutation of long-lived nuclear waste induced by a high-charge relativistic electron beam (e-beam) from a laser plasma accelerator is demonstrated. A collimated relativistic e-beam with a high charge of approximately 100 nC is produced from high-intensity laser interaction with near-critical-density (NCD) plasma. Such e-beam impinges on a high-Z convertor and then radiates energetic bremsstrahlung photons with flux approaching 1011 per laser shot. Taking a long-lived radionuclide 126Sn as an example, the resulting transmutation reaction yield is the order of 109 per laser shot, which is two orders of magnitude higher than obtained from previous studies. It is found that at lower densities, a tightly focused laser irradiating relatively longer NCD plasmas can effectively enhance the transmutation efficiency. Furthermore, the photo-transmutation is generalized by considering mixed-nuclide waste samples, which suggests that the laser-accelerated high-charge e-beam could be an efficient tool to transmute long-lived nuclear waste.

  7. Study of spallation neutrons for the transmutation of long-lived nuclear waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brochard, F.; Boyard, J.L.; Duchazeaubeneix, J.C.; Durand, J.M.; Faivre, J.C.; Leray, S.; Milleret, G.; Plouin, F.; Whittal, D.M.; Beau, M.; Crespin, S.; Frehaut, J.; Lochard, J.P.; Martinez, E.; Patin, Y.; Petitbon, E.; Sigaud, J.; Legrain, R.; Lepretre, A.; Terrien, Y.; Bacha, F.; Maillard, J.; Silva, J.

    1994-01-01

    With the renewed interest in accelerator-driven systems to transmute long-lived nuclear waste or to produce energy, new requirements for intermediate-energy nuclear data are now emerging. In all these systems, neutrons are produced by spallation reactions induced by around 1 GeV protons on a heavy target. These neutrons then drive a sub-critical blanket in which wastes are burned or energy is produced. A good knowledge of the spallation process (energy and angular distribution of the neutrons) is necessary to design and optimize the target-blanket system: for instance, to determine the best choices of beam energy, of composition and geometry of the target, in order to have the maximum neutron yield at the lowest cost, or to minimize the back-scattering of neutrons to the accelerator. A programme aimed at measuring the double differential cross-sections for the production of spallation neutrons induced by protons and deuterons GeV beams on different targets, is beginning at SATURNE. (authors). 3 refs., 3 figs

  8. High-power proton linac for transmuting the long-lived fission products in nuclear waste

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lawrence, G.P.

    1991-01-01

    High power proton linacs are being considered at Los Alamos as drivers for high-flux spallation neutron sources that can be used to transmute the troublesome long-lived fission products in defense nuclear waste. The transmutation scheme being studied provides a high flux (> 10{sup 16}/cm{sup 2}{minus}s) of thermal neutrons, which efficiently converts fission products to stable or short-lived isotopes. A medium-energy proton linac with an average beam power of about 110 MW can burn the accumulated Tc99 and I129 inventory at the DOE's Hanford Site within 30 years. Preliminary concepts for this machine are described. 3 refs., 5 figs., 2 tabs.

  9. Management of long-lived radioactive waste: stakes and ASN actions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dandrieux, G.

    2011-01-01

    Due to the length of time it takes to decay, long-lived radioactive waste will remain a hazard on a timescale beyond the length of a human life, and even of several generations. In the case of this waste, long-term management solutions must be implemented to protect human health and the environment without requiring human intervention. In accordance with requirements under the Law, ANDRA (national agency for the management of radioactive waste) is carrying out research on disposal solutions in deep or subsurface geological formations. Nonetheless, until such repositories become available, ASN (authority for nuclear safety) has a duty to ensure safety at current and future interim storage facilities, as well as the safety of operations to retrieve and package this type of waste. To this end, ASN acts on several levels: it is involved in drawing up regulations and reference texts, at national and international level, it examines safety analysis reports related to radioactive waste management at basic nuclear installations, by means of inspections that it performs at every step in radioactive waste management. In its capacity as joint coordinator of the national plan for the management of nuclear waste and materials (PNGMDR) working group, ASN also plays a very active role in drawing up the provisions of the PNGMDR aimed at improving and optimising radioactive waste management. (author)

  10. Ethical aspects of long-lived waste disposal

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McCombie, C.

    1996-01-01

    Independent of the long debate on the use of nuclear power, waste management specialists have a clear, unassailable set of environmental goals aimed at protecting the public and workers from any unjustifiable exposure to radiation. It is recognized that releases to the environment must be minimized, operational doses from waste handling kept low, and storage facilities constructed and operated with very high levels of safety. A philosophy of how to make best use of the available resources is embedded into the established principles of the ICRP, requiring justification of practices, limitation of doses and optimization. The situation is different when we consider the particular case of disposal of long-lived radioactive waste. Properly designed and sited repositories will present only low levels of risk - but these risks are predicted to peak only after many thousands of years. It is obvious, therefore, that this disposal involves the present and immediately following generations investing resources into the protection of far-future individuals. Attention has focused upon this intergeneration issue in recent years, leading to intensified debate on all ethical aspects of waste disposal. In this paper, I will try to provide a short overview of recent relevant work, to indicate the ethical principles agreed upon and to highlight the currently most controversial issues. (author)

  11. 1. round table - Nuclear wastes and radioactive materials. 2. round table - risks linked with nuclear wastes and materials. 3. round table - the problem of long-term management of medium-high activity and long lived wastes. The process defined by the 1991 law

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2005-01-01

    The law from December 30, 1991, precisely defines 3 axes of researches for the management of high level and long-lived radioactive wastes: separation/transmutation, surface storage and underground disposal. A global evaluation report about these researches is to be supplied in 2006 by the French government to the Parliament. A first synthesis of the knowledge gained after 14 years of research has led the national commission of the public debate (CNDP) to organize a national debate about the general options of management of high-level and long-lived radioactive wastes before the 2006 date line. The debate comprises 4 public hearings (September 2005: Bar-le-Duc, Saint-Dizier, Pont-du-Gard, Cherbourg), 12 round-tables (October and November 2005: Paris, Joinville, Caen, Nancy, Marseille), a synthesis meeting (December 2005, Dunkerque) and a closing meeting (January 2006, Lyon). This document is the synthesis of the debates of the first round table of Paris about the problems raised by nuclear wastes in the case of the geologic disposal option. Four families of questions have been tackled: 1 - the exhaustiveness of ANDRA's inventory, the solutions foreseen for the different types of wastes; 2 - the high-medium activity wastes and their processing; 3 - the management of non-reprocessed spent MOX fuels; 4 - the safety and security standards used and their establishment. Four presentations are attached to these proceedings and deal with: the measured and estimated inventory of all radioactive wastes; the inventory and management of radioactive wastes and the place of citizens; the point of view of the nuclear safety authority; conditioning and storage. (J.S.)

  12. Storage of long lived solid waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ozarde, P.D.; Agarwal, K.; Gupta, R.K.; Gandhi, K.G.

    2009-01-01

    Long lived solid waste, generated during the fuel cycle mainly includes high level vitrified waste product, high level cladding hulls and low and intermediate level alpha wastes. These wastes require storage in specially designed engineered facilities before final disposal into deep geological repository. Since high-level vitrified waste contain heat generating radionuclides, the facility for their storage is designed for continuous cooling. High level cladding hulls undergo volume reduction by compaction and will be subsequently stored. (author)

  13. The environmental and ethical basis of the geological disposal of long-lived radioactive waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vuori, S.

    1995-01-01

    This partial translation into Finnish of the recently issued Collective Opinion of the Radioactive Waste Management Committee (RWMC) of the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency is published here to provide general information to the members of the Finnish Nuclear Society. Full translation will be published later by the Ministry of Trade and Industry. The collective opinion addresses the strategy for the final disposal of long-lived radioactive wastes seen from an environmental and ethical perspective, including considerations of equity and fairness within and between generations

  14. PNGMDR - Characterisation of intermediate-level long-lived wastes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2014-12-01

    This document presents the status of the characterization of intermediate-level long-lived wastes which are warehoused on exploited EDF sites or which will be produced during the deconstruction of first-generation reactors. It addresses aspects related to characterisation and packaging of wastes produced before 2015. More specifically, it addresses aspects related to contamination and to activation. Contamination is assessed by measurements whereas activation assessment is based on numerical simulations associated with measurements performed during parcel production. After having mentioned the concerned reactors, the document presents the methodology adopted for these assessments, and reports the progress status of the characterization process for these intermediate-level long-lived wastes

  15. The Environmental and ethical basis of the geological disposal of long-lived radioactive waste. A collective opinion by the Radioactive Waste Management Committee (RWMC) of the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1995-01-01

    The report presents a consensus position of the national authorities in their search for appropriate solutions in the safe disposal of radioactive wastes in the form of a Collective Opinion of the Radioactive waste Management Committee (RWMC) of the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency. The Collective Opinion addresses the strategy for the final disposal of long-lived radioactive wastes seen from an environmental and ethical perspective, including considerations of equity and fairness within and between generations. (7 refs.)

  16. Fiscal 1982 progress report of 'comprehensive research on the management of long-lived radioactive wastes' in the Research Center for Nuclear Science and Technology, University of Tokyo

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sekiguchi, Akira; Kosako, Toshiso

    1983-01-01

    In the Research Center for Nuclear Science and Technology, University of Tokyo, the special research project ''Comprehensive Research on the Management of Long-lived Radioactive Wastes'' is carried out in the three-year period from fiscal 1982 to 1984. The works performed in the fiscal year 1982 are described individually, each short description on research purposes and contents, results, future plans, etc. the research works in the three fields of material science, biology and process technology are buffer materials in land disposal, canisters, corrosion of waste-container materials, thermal analysis of high-level wastes, effects of tritium on cells and marine life, biological effect of long-lived nuclides, separation of tritium wastes, actinoids and krypton-iodine, environmental migration of radionuclides, and accident analysis. (Mori, K.)

  17. A report of the symposium on 'comprehensive research on the management of long-lived radioactive wastes' in the Research Center for Nuclear Science and Technology, University of Tokyo

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sekiguchi, Akira; Naito, Keiji; Suzuki, Susumu; Furuya, Hirotaka; Sato, Masatomo.

    1983-01-01

    In the Research Center for Nuclear Science and Technology, University of Tokyo, the special research project ''Comprehensive Research on the Management of Long-lived Radioactive WasΩtes'' is carried out in the three-year period from fiscal 1982 to 1984. In this connection, a symposium has been held on January 25, 1983. Seven lectures given by the respective speakers are summarized individually: (1) the research of transuranic elements in educational institutions, (2) an outline of the actinoid research facilities planned in Tohoku University, (3) the radiation damage and leachability of glass solids, (4) the situation and trend in Japan and abroad of the disposal of long-lived nuclide wastes, (5) practical site tests concerning the geologic-formation disposal of low-level wastes, (6) the trend in the research of geologic formations for the disposal of high-level wastes, (7) the safety in the management of long-lived radioactive wastes. (Mori, K.)

  18. Low-risk alternative waste forms for problematic high-level and long-lived nuclear wastes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stewart, M.W.A.; Begg, B.D.; Moricca, S.; Day, R.A.

    2006-01-01

    Full text: The highest cost component the nuclear waste clean up challenge centres on high-level waste (HLW) and consequently the greatest opportunity for cost and schedule savings lies with optimising the approach to HLW cleanup. The waste form is the key component of the immobilisation process. To achieve maximum cost savings and optimum performance the selection of the waste form should be driven by the characteristics of the specific nuclear waste to be immobilised, rather than adopting a single baseline approach. This is particularly true for problematic nuclear wastes that are often not amenable to a single baseline approach. The use of tailored, high-performance, alternative waste forms that include ceramics and glass-ceramics, coupled with mature process technologies offer significant performance improvements and efficiency savings for a nuclear waste cleanup program. It is the waste form that determines how well the waste is locked up (chemical durability), and the number of repository disposal canisters required (waste loading efficiency). The use of alternative waste forms for problematic wastes also lowers the overall risk by providing high performance HLW treatment alternatives. The benefits tailored alternative waste forms bring to the HLW cleanup program will be briefly reviewed with reference to work carried out on the following: The HLW calcines at the Idaho National Laboratory; SYNROC ANSTO has developed a process utilising a glass-ceramic combined with mature hot-isostatic pressing (HIP) technology and has demonstrated this at a waste loading of 80 % and at a 30 kg HIP scale. The use of this technology has recently been estimated to result in a 70 % reduction in waste canisters, compared to the baseline borosilicate glass technology; Actinide-rich waste streams, particularly the work being done by SYNROC ANSTO with Nexia Solutions on the Plutonium-residues wastes at Sellafield in the UK, which if implemented is forecast to result in substantial

  19. Proceedings of the public debate on the general options of management of high and intermediate activity and long-lived radioactive wastes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2006-01-01

    The law from December 30, 1991, precisely defines 3 axes of researches for the management of high level and long-lived radioactive wastes: separation/transmutation, surface storage and underground disposal. A global evaluation report about these researches is to be supplied in 2006 by the French government to the Parliament. A first synthesis of the knowledge gained after 14 years of research has led the national commission of the public debate (CNDP) to organize a national debate about the general options of management of high-level and long-lived radioactive wastes before the 2006 date line. The debate comprised 4 public hearings (September 2005: Bar-le-Duc, Saint-Dizier, Pont-du-Gard, Cherbourg), 12 round-tables (October and November 2005: Paris, Joinville, Caen, Nancy, Marseille), a synthesis meeting (December 2005, Dunkerque) and a closing meeting (January 2006, Lyon). This document is a summary of the main questions tackled during this debate from its preparation to its closing meeting and dealing with: the acceptation of the debate, the progress of the debate, the socio-technical problem of gathering the different points to be debated with respect to the different areas in concern, the general questions about the overall nuclear wastes and materials (radioactivity, health, radioprotection, management, reprocessing, control, actors organization, knowledge sharing, perenniality of the financing), the specific questions about long-lived wastes (inventory, separation-transmutation feasibility, nuclear energy and energy policy, management solutions, storage and geologic disposal feasibility, impact of debates on the 2006 law, long-lived waste territories), the conclusions for the 2006 law: mastering the overall nuclear wastes and materials and step-by-step building up of a solution for long-lived wastes (difficulties, lessons learnt from foreign experience, first draft of the 2006 law). Some opinions expressed by some participants about these proposals conclude

  20. Amount, disposal and relative toxicity of long-lived fission products and actinides in the radioactive wastes of the nuclear fuel cycles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Haug, H.O.

    1975-11-01

    A review is presented on the magnitude of the long-term problems of radioactive wastes from the nuclear power industry of the FRG (and Western Europe). The production of long-lived fission products and actinides has been calculated for several fuel types of the uranium-plutonium and thorium-uranium fuel cycles and related to a prediction of the development and share of LWR, FBR and HTGR. The quantities and concentrations of actinides, the radioactivity and relative toxicity index of the wastes of reprocessing (and fuel refabrication) and their changes by radioactive decay are presented. The radiotoxicity of the nuclide inventory of the solidified high-level wastes have been compared with naturally occuring uranium ores. On the long term (>10 3 years) the radiotoxicity level of the total area of the final repository in deep geological formation does not result in a significantly higher radiotoxicity level than an uranium ore deposit of low uranium content. Also discussed have been the chemical separation of the actinides from high-level wastes and recycling in fission reactors. (orig.) [de

  1. Disposal approach for long-lived low and intermediate-level radioactive waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, Jin Beak; Park, Joo Wan; Kim, Chang Lak

    2005-01-01

    There certainly exists the radioactive inventory that exceeds the waste acceptance criteria for final disposal of the low and intermediate-level radioactive waste. In this paper, current disposal status of the long-lived radioactive waste in several nations are summarized and the basic procedures for disposal approach are suggested. With this suggestion, intensive discussion and research activities can hopefully be launched to set down the possible resolutions to dispose of the long-lived radioactive waste

  2. Nuclear waste issue

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ryhanen, V.

    2000-01-01

    A prerequisite for future use of nuclear energy in electricity production is safe management of the radioactive wastes generated by nuclear power industry. A number of facilities have been constructed for different stages of nuclear waste management around the world, for example for conditioning of different kind of process wastes and for intermediate storage of spent nuclear fuel. Difficulties have often been encountered particularly when trying to advance plans for final stage of waste management, which is permanent disposal in stable geological formations. The main problems have not been technical, but poor public acceptance and lack of necessary political decisions have delayed the progress in many countries. However, final disposal facilities are already in operation for low- and medium-level nuclear wastes. The most challenging task is the development of final disposal solutions for long-lived high-level wastes (spent fuel or high-level reprocessing waste). The implementation of deep geological repositories for these wastes requires persistent programmes for technology development, siting and safety assessments, as well as for building public confidence in long-term safety of the planned repositories. Now, a few countries are proceeding towards siting of these facilities, and the first high-level waste repositories are expected to be commissioned in the years 2010 - 2020. (author)

  3. Dossier: management of nuclear wastes. Research, results

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    2001-01-01

    The researches carried out since many years on nuclear wastes have led to two main ways of management: the long-term conditioning of radio-elements and their advanced separation. The French atomic energy commission (CEA) has chosen to take up also the transmutation challenge, a way to transform long-living radioactive wastes into short-living radioactive wastes or stable compounds. The transmutation programs are based both on simulation and experiments with a huge international collaboration. This dossier presents in a digest way the research activity carried out on nuclear wastes processing and management at the CEA. (J.S.)

  4. Impact of long-lived radionuclides on waste classification for fusion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Maninger, R.C.

    1985-01-01

    A major goal for commercial applications of fusion reactors is to minimize radioactive wastes and to dispose of them by near-surface burial. There currently are no regulations specifically applicable to fusion wastes but those in force for fission wastes furnish a framework for expected fusion regulations. This paper recommends that all nuclides with half-lives greater than five years be assigned concentration limits as done in 10CFR61 for fission wastes. The paper gives approximate limits for all the significant long half-life sources of gamma radiation in the currently known periodic table. In the absence of working fusion reactors, computer models must be used to estimate the expected actual concentrations of radioactive nuclides. These estimates are needed to guide design parameters to achieve minimum radioactivity in fusion reactors. It is believed that the computer models and nuclear reaction libraries must be much more comprehensive than ordinarily used today to do activation calculations

  5. The problem of the long-term management of nuclear wastes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2005-01-01

    The law from December 30, 1991, precisely defines 3 axes of researches for the management of high level and long-lived radioactive wastes: separation/transmutation, surface storage and underground disposal. A global evaluation report about these researches is to be supplied in 2006 by the French government to the Parliament. A first synthesis of the knowledge gained after 14 years of research has led the national commission of the public debate (CNDP) to organize a national debate about the general options of management of high-level and long-lived radioactive wastes before the 2006 date line. The debate comprises 4 public hearings (September 2005: Bar-le-Duc, Saint-Dizier, Pont-du-Gard, Cherbourg), 12 round-tables (October and November 2005: Paris, Joinville, Caen, Nancy, Marseille), a synthesis meeting (December 2005, Dunkerque) and a closing meeting (January 2006, Lyon). This document is the proceedings of the synthesis meeting of Dunkerque. It comprises an introduction which recalls the stakes and modalities of the debate, followed by a talk from the president of the national association of local commissions for nuclear activities information (ANCLI), and three synthesis talks from the particular commission of the public debate, the ministry of industry, and the committee of experts and counter-experts. These proceedings end with some questions and answers with the public. A slide presentation by B. Dessus about the progresses made in the debate on nuclear wastes management is attached to the document. (J.S.)

  6. Nuclear incineration method for long life radioactive wastes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Matsumoto, Takaaki; Uematsu, Kunihiko.

    1987-01-01

    Nuclear incineration method is the method of converting the long life radioactive nuclides in wastes to short life or stable nuclides by utilizing the nuclear reaction caused by radiation, unlike usual chemical incineration. By the nuclear incineration, the radioactivity of wastes increases in a short period, but the problems at the time of the disposal are reduced because of the decrease of long life radioactive nuclides. As the radiation used for the nuclear incineration, the neutron beam from fission and fusion reactors and accelerators, the proton beam and gamma ray from accelerators have been studied. The object of the nuclear incineration is actinide, Sr-90, Cs-137, I-129 and Tc-99. In particular, waste actinide emits alpha ray, and is strongly toxic, accordingly, the motive of attempting the nuclear incineration is strong. In Japan, about 24t of waste actinide will accumulate by 2000. The principle of the nuclear incineration, and the nuclear incineration using nuclear fission and fusion reactors and accelerators are described. The nuclear incineration using fission reactors was examined for the first time in 1972 in USA. It is most promising because it is feasible by the present technology without particular research and development. (Kako, I.)

  7. Experimental studies on behaviour of long-lived radionuclides in relation to deep-ocean disposal of nuclear waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aston, S.R.; Fowler, S.W.

    1984-01-01

    Laboratory experiments have been carried out to investigate the interactions of long-lived radionuclides with sediments from present or potential deep-ocean radioactive waste disposal sites. The studies have been concerned with both geochemical aspects and sediment/animal radioecology. Examples drawn from the comparative behaviour of technetium and three transuranium nuclides (neptunium, plutonium and americium) are presented in relation to their uptake from sea water by deep-ocean sediments, ease of desorption and transfer from contaminated sediments to benthic invertebrates. The results provide information for the prediction of the behaviour of long-lived radionuclides in the deep-sea water/sediment boundary after their release from wastes. (author)

  8. LA-ICP-MS for Trace Analysis of Long-Lived Radionuclides in Solid Non-conducting Radioactive Waste Samples

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Becker, J.S.; Gastel, M.; Tenzler, D.; Dietze, H.J.

    1999-01-01

    The characterization of radioactive waste materials from nuclear reactors for recycling and final storage requires fast, sensitive and precise analytical methods, which are able to determine long-lived radionuclidic ultra traces in a short time. For the determination of long-lived α and β ray-emitting nuclides besides the classical radiochemical methods which are mostly include time-consuming radiochemical separation procedures, to an increasing extent inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) has been used successfully as a powerful trace, ultra trace and isotopic analytical method for the determination of long-lived radionuclides in aqueous solutions [1-3

  9. Development plan. High activity-long living wastes project. Abstract

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2007-01-01

    This brochure presents the actions that the ANDRA (the French national agency of radioactive wastes) has to implement in the framework of the project of high activity-long living (HALL) radioactive wastes (HAVL project) conformably to the requirements of the program defined in the law from June 28, 2006 (law no 2006-739). This law precises the three, complementary, research paths to explore for the management of this type of wastes: separation and transmutation of long-living radioactive elements, reversible disposal in deep geologic underground, and long duration storage. The ANDRA's action concerns the geologic disposal aspect. The following points are presented: the HALL wastes and their containers, the reversible disposal procedure, the HAVL project: financing of researches, storage concepts, development plan of the project (dynamics, information and dialogue approach, input data, main steps, schedule); the nine programs of the HAVL project (laboratory experiments and demonstration tests, surface survey, scientific program, simulation program, surface engineering studies and technological tests, information and communication program, program of environment and facilities surface observation and monitoring, waste packages management, monitoring and transport program, disposal program); the five transverse technical and scientific activities (safety, reversibility, cost, health and occupational safety, impact study). (J.S.)

  10. Transmutation of long-lived nuclides

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liang Tongxiang; Tang Chunhe

    2003-01-01

    Partitioning and transmutation of long-lived nuclides have profound benefits for economic development, global political stability and the environment. This technology would reduce nuclear waste disposal requirements, prevent proliferation and eliminate a major hurdle to the development of nuclear power. This paper reviews the advanced fuel cycle process and development of ATW in the world, and some suggestions about the R and D of nuclear power in China are proposed

  11. The high level and long lived radioactive wastes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2005-01-01

    This report presents the main conclusions of 15 years of researches managed by the CEA. This report is the preliminary version of the 2005 final report. It presents the main conclusions of the actions on the axis 1 and 3 of the law of the 30 December 1991. The synthesis report on the axis 1 concerns results obtained on the long lived radionuclides separation and transmutation in high level and long lived radioactive wastes. the synthesis report on the axis 3 presents results obtained by the processes of conditioning and of ground and underground long term storage. (A.L.B.)

  12. Researches on the management of high activity and long-lived radioactive wastes. Axis 1 - separation-transmutation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2005-11-01

    This document gathers the transparencies of seven presentations given at a technical workshop of the French nuclear energy society (SFEN) about the researches on separation-transmutation of high activity and long-lived radioactive wastes. The presentations deal with: inventory and radiotoxicity of the rad-wastes in concern; industrial experience; experience on chemical separation: molecules and processes; reactors physics and transmutation - reactors for transmutation; fuels and targets; scenarios that include transmutation; environmental impacts of these different scenarios. (J.S.)

  13. A practical approach to the disposal of highly toxic and long-lived spent nuclear fuel waste between Venus and Earth

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ehricke, K.A.

    1983-01-01

    Extraterrestrial disposal, while not the only alternative, nevertheless assures definite and irreversible removal of the most toxic and long-lived waste from the biosphere. The disposal 'site' should lie at minimum safe transfer energy level. Primary candidate is the space between Venus and Earth. The number of propulsion phases should be a minimum, preferably only one. Lunar gravity assist can be helpful to achieve higher inclination of the heliocentric orbit relative to the ecliptic. Solidified spent fuel isotopes and actinides, sufficient to reduce the residual terrestrial waste to the radiation level of natural uranium deposits after 30 to 40 yr instead of 1000 to 1500 yr, is deposited into heliocentric orbits. Transportation systems, requirements, costs and the associated socio-economic benefit potentials of an environmentally more benign and a more vigorous nuclear power generation program are presented. Prior to solidification, an interim storage of 10 yr, following removal from the reactor, may be required. The Shuttle, with one Orbiter modified as Nuclear Waste Carrying Orbiter and an out of near-Earth orbit booster, provides a safe and economic transportation system at disposal mission costs from surface to disposal orbit of less than 0.5 cents/kWhe or <= 0.1 cent/kWhe depending on level of orbital operations. Details are discussed. (author)

  14. Nuclear waste problem: does new Europe need new nuclear energy?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alekseev, P.; Dudnikov, A.; Subbotin, S.

    2003-01-01

    Nuclear Energy for New Europe - what does it mean? New Europe - it means in first order joined Europe. And it is quite clear that also efforts in nuclear energy must be joined. What can be proposed as a target of joint efforts. Improvement of existing plants, technologies, materials? - Certainly, but it is performed already by designers and industry themselves. There exists a problem, which each state using nuclear energy faces alone. It is nuclear waste problem. Nowadays nuclear waste problem is not completely solved in any country. It seems reasonable for joining Europe to join efforts in solving this problem. A satisfactory solution would reduce a risk connected with nuclear waste. In addition to final disposal problem solution it is necessary to reduce total amount of nuclear waste, that means: reducing the rates of accumulation of long-lived dangerous radionuclides; reducing the existing amounts of these radionuclides by transmutation. These conditions can be satisfied in reasonable time by burning of minor actinides and, if possible, by transmutation of long-lived fission products. However we can use this strategy effectively if we will design and construct nuclear energy as a system of which components are united by nuclear fuel cycle as a system-forming factor. The existing structures and approaches may become insufficient for new Europe. Therefore among the initial steps in considering nuclear waste problem must be considering possible promising fuel cycles for European nuclear energy. So, does new Europe need new nuclear energy? It seems, yes. (author)

  15. Long-lived radioactive waste, the French management policy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barber, P.

    1994-01-01

    An overwhelming majority of both chambers of the French Parliament voted in favor of Public Law 91-1381 on December 30, 1991, the Waste Act which outlines the research program to be conducted for disposal of long-lived waste. The program focuses on three main research objectives, which are briefly discussed in this presentation: reduction of waste volume and toxicity (advanced partitioning and transmutation); assessment of the waste isolation properties of deep geologic formations; and development of solidification processes and storage techniques for long-term interim storage in near surface facilities. Annual reports on this research will be reviewed by a national commission and submitted to Parliament. Within 15 years, the government will prepare a comprehensive report and may enact new legislation authorizing the creation of a repository. The Waste Act also establishes the conditions for underground geologic research laboratories; site selection, public information and monitoring procedures; and economic incentives related to these facilities, which represent major financial investments that will benefit communities in the involved regions

  16. Study 2: the precaution applied to long-life nuclear wastes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marignac, Y.

    2000-01-01

    Among the problems bonded to the energy development, some risks take a global aspect. These risks concerned the resources management, the safety and by-products accumulation (greenhouse gases or nuclear wastes). This document deals with the nuclear wastes problem, which is not studied today on at international scale. A first part presents the general problem of the long-life wastes in France to define an indicator for the nuclear wastes production. This criteria allows to measure the prevention strategy efficiency. A second part deals with financial aspects and calculates the cost-efficiency factor of the nuclear wastes storage facing their processing. (A.L.B.)

  17. French people and nuclear wastes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    D'Iribarne, Ph.

    2005-01-01

    On March 21, 2005, the French minister of industry gave to the author of this document, the mission to shade a sociological light on the radioactive wastes perception by French people. The objective of this study was to supply an additional information before the laying down in 2006 of the decisions about the management of high-level and long-lived radioactive wastes. This inquiry, carried out between April 2004 and March 2005, stresses on the knowledge and doubts of the questioned people, on the vision they have of radioactive wastes and of their hazards, and on their opinion about the actors in concern (experts, nuclear companies, government, anti-nuclear groups, public). The last two parts of the report consider the different ways of waste management under study today, and the differences between the opinion of people living close to the Bure site and the opinion of people living in other regions. (J.S.)

  18. Nuclear waste disposal utilizing a gaseous core reactor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paternoster, R. R.

    1975-01-01

    The feasibility of a gaseous core nuclear reactor designed to produce power to also reduce the national inventories of long-lived reactor waste products through nuclear transmutation was examined. Neutron-induced transmutation of radioactive wastes is shown to be an effective means of shortening the apparent half life.

  19. The inventory model for feasibility studies of a deep geological disposal for high level and long lived waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dutzer, M.; Lagrange, M.H.; Porcher, J.B.; Chupeau, J.

    2001-01-01

    A detailed inventory of high level and long lived waste packages was established to perform studies for the feasibility of an underground repository. This inventory takes into account existing conditioned waste, unconditioned waste and arisings generated by existing facilities. Grouping of waste package sorts in package types is done regarding relevant characteristics that determine the design of disposal vaults. The radiological content of each package type is derived from calculations of nuclear interactions inside the reactors, from the distribution of the nuclides in the different package types; it is cross-checked with available data on waste sorts. (author)

  20. Long-lived radioactive waste, the French management policy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barber, P.

    1994-01-01

    An overwhelming majority of both chambers of the French Parliament voted in favor of Public Law 91-1381 on December 30, 1991, which outlines the research program to be conducted for disposal of long-lived waste. The program focuses on three main research objectives: reduction of waste volumes and toxicity (advanced partitioning and transmutation); assessment of the waste isolation properties of deep geologic formations; and development of solidification processes and storage techniques for long-term interim storage in near-surface facilities. Annual reports on this research will be reviewed by a national commission and submitted to Parliament. Within 15 years, the government will prepare a comprehensive report and may enact new legislation authorizing the creation of a repository. The Waste Act also establishes the conditions for siting underground geologic research laboratories; site selection, public information and monitoring procedures; and economic incentives related to these facilities, which represent major financial investments that will benefit communities in the involved regions

  1. Context of the long-term management of low-level short-lived waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hooft, E.

    2004-01-01

    Until the international moratorium of 1983, Belgium relied on sea disposal for its low-level waste. Since then, ONDRAF/NIRAS, the Belgian radioactive waste management agency, has launched studies to look for land-based solutions. These studies, which are still going on, have gone through various phases. The sometimes harsh reactions in public opinion and the recommendations of independent experts, however, progressively led ONDRAF/NIRAS to question its work methodology. On 16 January 1998 was a milestone in Belgian's nuclear waste management. On that day, the Belgian federal government opted for a final, or potentially final, solution for the long-term management of short-lived, low-level radioactive waste, a solution that also had to be progressive, flexible, and reversible. At the same time, the government entrusted new missions to ONDRAF/NIRAS in particular that of developing methods to enable the integration of final repository project proposals at a local level and restricted the number of potential sites for final disposal to the four existing nuclear sites in Belgium and to possibly interested local districts. The government's decision of 16 January 1998 forced ONDRAF/NIRAS to change its strategy. The agency set up a new work programme and worked out an innovative methodology. This new methodology aims to generate, at the level of the interested towns and villages, draft projects for a final repository supported by a wide public consensus. (author)

  2. Managing fusion high-level waste-A strategy for burning the long-lived products in fusion devices

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    El-Guebaly, L.A.

    2006-01-01

    Fusion devices appear to be a viable option for burning their own high-level waste (HLW). We propose a novel strategy to eliminate (or minimize) the HLW generated by fusion systems. The main source of the fusion HLW includes the structural and recycled materials, refractory metals, and liquid breeders. The basic idea involves recycling and reprocessing the waste, separating the long-lived radionuclides from the bulk low-level waste, and irradiating the limited amount of HLW in a specially designed module to transmute the long-lived products into short-lived radioisotopes or preferably, stable elements. The potential performance of the new concept seems promising. Our analysis indicated moderate to excellent transmutation rates could be achieved in advanced fusion designs. Successive irradiation should burn the majority of the HLW. The figures of merit for the concept relate to the HLW burn-up fraction, neutron economy, and impact on tritium breeding. Hopefully, the added design requirements could be accommodated easily in fusion power plants and the cost of the proposed system would be much less than disposal in a deep geological HLW repository. Overall, this innovative approach offers benefits to fusion systems and helps earn public acceptance for fusion as a HLW-free source of clean nuclear energy

  3. Status of the public debate on the general options of management of high and intermediate activity and long-lived radioactive wastes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2006-01-01

    The law from December 30, 1991, precisely defines 3 axes of researches for the management of high level and long-lived radioactive wastes: separation/transmutation, surface storage and underground disposal. A global evaluation report about these researches is to be supplied in 2006 by the French government to the Parliament. A first synthesis of the knowledge gained after 14 years of research has led the national commission of the public debate (CNDP) to organize a national debate about the general options of management of high-level and long-lived radioactive wastes before the 2006 date line. The debate comprised 4 public hearings (September 2005: Bar-le-Duc, Saint-Dizier, Pont-du-Gard, Cherbourg), 12 round-tables (October and November 2005: Paris, Joinville, Caen, Nancy, Marseille), a synthesis meeting (December 2005, Dunkerque) and a closing meeting (January 2006, Lyon). This document is a status of the general organisation and progress of the debate from its preparing to its end in mid-January 2006. It shows the challenges the CNDP had to take up to treat the scientifical and technical questions in an accessible way, allowing the participation and the hearing of the large public. A status is made of the deception and satisfaction of the public. A lack of confidence in public authorities and scientists has been expressed several times. No pro-nuclear/anti-nuclear shock has occurred and the debate has revealed a remarkable richness in its content. One contribution of the debate to the future project of law is its enlargement to the overall nuclear wastes and valorizable materials and not only to the high/intermediate-level and long-lived wastes. (J.S.)

  4. Nuclear waste forms for actinides

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ewing, Rodney C.

    1999-01-01

    The disposition of actinides, most recently 239Pu from dismantled nuclear weapons, requires effective containment of waste generated by the nuclear fuel cycle. Because actinides (e.g., 239Pu and 237Np) are long-lived, they have a major impact on risk assessments of geologic repositories. Thus, demonstrable, long-term chemical and mechanical durability are essential properties of waste forms for the immobilization of actinides. Mineralogic and geologic studies provide excellent candidate phases for immobilization and a unique database that cannot be duplicated by a purely materials science approach. The “mineralogic approach” is illustrated by a discussion of zircon as a phase for the immobilization of excess weapons plutonium. PMID:10097054

  5. Nuclear waste and hazardous waste in the public perception

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kruetli, Pius; Seidl, Roman; Stauffacher, Michael

    2015-01-01

    The disposal of nuclear waste has gained attention of the public for decades. Accordingly, nuclear waste has been a prominent issue in natural, engineer and social science for many years. Although bearing risks for todays and future generations hazardous waste in contrast is much less an issue of public concern. In 2011, we conducted a postal survey among Swiss Germans (N = 3.082) to learn more about, how nuclear waste is perceived against hazardous waste. We created a questionnaire with two versions, nuclear waste and hazardous waste, respectively. Each version included an identical part with well-known explanatory factors for risk perception on each of the waste types separately and additional questions directly comparing the two waste types. Results show that basically both waste types are perceived similarly in terms of risk/benefit, emotion, trust, knowledge and responsibility. However, in the direct comparison of the two waste types a complete different pattern can be observed: Respondents perceive nuclear waste as more long-living, more dangerous, less controllable and it, furthermore, creates more negative emotions. On the other hand, respondents feel more responsible for hazardous waste and indicate to have more knowledge about this waste type. Moreover, nuclear waste is perceived as more carefully managed. We conclude that mechanisms driving risk perception are similar for both waste types but an overarching negative image of nuclear waste prevails. We propose that hazardous waste should be given more attention in the public as well as in science which may have implications on further management strategies of hazardous waste.

  6. Nuclear waste and hazardous waste in the public perception

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kruetli, Pius; Seidl, Roman; Stauffacher, Michael [ETH Zurich (Switzerland). Inst. for Environmental Decisions

    2015-07-01

    The disposal of nuclear waste has gained attention of the public for decades. Accordingly, nuclear waste has been a prominent issue in natural, engineer and social science for many years. Although bearing risks for todays and future generations hazardous waste in contrast is much less an issue of public concern. In 2011, we conducted a postal survey among Swiss Germans (N = 3.082) to learn more about, how nuclear waste is perceived against hazardous waste. We created a questionnaire with two versions, nuclear waste and hazardous waste, respectively. Each version included an identical part with well-known explanatory factors for risk perception on each of the waste types separately and additional questions directly comparing the two waste types. Results show that basically both waste types are perceived similarly in terms of risk/benefit, emotion, trust, knowledge and responsibility. However, in the direct comparison of the two waste types a complete different pattern can be observed: Respondents perceive nuclear waste as more long-living, more dangerous, less controllable and it, furthermore, creates more negative emotions. On the other hand, respondents feel more responsible for hazardous waste and indicate to have more knowledge about this waste type. Moreover, nuclear waste is perceived as more carefully managed. We conclude that mechanisms driving risk perception are similar for both waste types but an overarching negative image of nuclear waste prevails. We propose that hazardous waste should be given more attention in the public as well as in science which may have implications on further management strategies of hazardous waste.

  7. Long term radioactive waste management

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lavie, J.M.

    1984-01-01

    In France, waste management, a sensitive issue in term of public opinion, is developing quickly, and due to twenty years of experience, is now reaching maturity. With the launching of the French nuclear programme, the use of radioactive sources in radiotherapy and industry, waste management has become an industrial activity. Waste management is an integrated system dealing with the wastes from their production to the long term disposal, including their identification, sortage, treatment, packaging, collection and transport. This system aims at guaranteing the protection of present and future populations with an available technology. In regard to their long term management, and the design of disposals, radioactive wastes are divided in three categories. This classification takes into account the different radioisotopes contained, their half life and their total activity. Presently short-lived wastes are stored in the shallowland disposal of the ''Centre de la Manche''. Set up within the French Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), the National Agency for waste management (ANDRA) is responsible within the framework of legislative and regulatory provisions for long term waste management in France [fr

  8. Ethical aspects of the disposal of long-lived radioactive waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McCombie, C.

    1997-01-01

    Absolving waste management responsibilities requires consensus within the present, waste-producing society, but also fairness towards future generations. This situation has been discussed at length in the formulation of disposal strategies for long-lived radioactive waste, although some other activities practised today are likely to lead to much more dramatic, permanent changes to our environment. Drawing on recent publications on ethical aspects of waste disposal, this article provides an overview of the topic, highlighting both those principles for which there already is a consensus and those which are still regarded as controversial. (author) 3 figs., 1 tab., refs

  9. Arisings and management of nuclear wastes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dejonghe, P.; Heremans, R.; Proost, J.; Voorde, N. van de

    1978-01-01

    The paper contains a brief description of volumes and composition of radioactive wastes expected to occur in Belgium, taking into account the present nuclear program. Various conditioning and management techniques are described and discussed. Some discussion is paid to disposal of conditioned radioactive wastes either into the ocean (low level) or in geologic formations (long lived or high level wastes). Some ideas are given as to the structure optimization in radioactive waste management and the associated R and D. (author)

  10. Nuclear Waste Removal Using Particle Beams Incineration with Fast Neutrons

    CERN Document Server

    Revol, Jean Pierre Charles

    1997-01-01

    The management of nuclear waste is one of the major obstacles to the acceptability of nuclear power as a main source of energy for the future. TARC, a new experiment at CERN, is testing the practicality of Carlo Rubbia's idea to make use of Adiabatic Resonance Crossing to transmute long-lived fission fragments into short-lived or stable nuclides. Spallation neutrons produced in a large Lead assembly have a high probability to be captured at the energies of cross-section resonances in elements such as 99Tc, 129I, etc. An accelerator-driven sub-critical device using Thorium (Energy Amplifier) would be very effective in eliminating TRansUranic elements which constitute the most dangerous part of nuclear waste while producing from it large amounts of energy. In addition, such a system could transform, at a high rate and little energetic cost, long-lived fission fragments into short-lived elements.

  11. Cost benefit analysis, sustainability and long-lived radioactive waste management

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Berkhout, F.

    1994-01-01

    The objective of this paper is to examine how far the sustainability concept and the technique of cost-benefit analysis (CBA) can be applied to the problem of radioactive waste management. The paper begins with a slightly altered definition of the problem to the one carried in the Nea's background document (Nea 1994). A preliminary attempt is then be made to ascribe burdens to the various phases of long-lived radioactive waste management. The appropriateness of CBA and the sustainability concept for making decisions about long-term waste management policy is then discussed. The author ends with some conclusions about the appropriateness of systematic assessment approaches in the political process of constructing social consent for technological decisions. (O.L.). 12 refs., 1 tab

  12. Sorption and chromatographic techniques for processing liquid waste of nuclear fuel cycle

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gelis, V.M.; Milyutin, V.V.; Chuveleva, E.A.; Maslova, G.B.; Kudryavtseva, S.P.; Firsova, L.A.; Kozlitin, E.A.

    2000-01-01

    In the spent nuclear fuel processing procedures the significant quantity of high level liquid waste containing long-lived high toxic radionuclides of cesium, strontium, promethium, americium, curium, etc. is generated. Separation of those radionuclides from the waste not merely simplifies the further safe waste handling but also reduces the waste processing operation costs due to the market value of certain individual radionuclide preparations. Recovery and separation of high grade pure long-lived radionuclide preparations is frequently performed by means of chromatographic techniques. (authors)

  13. Radiolytic gas production during long-term storage of nuclear wastes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bibler, N.E.

    1976-01-01

    Gases produced by in situ radiolysis of sealed solidified nuclear wastes during long-term storage could conceivably breach containment. Therefore, candidate waste forms (matrices containing simulated nuclear wastes) were irradiated with 60 Co-γ and 244 Cm-α radiation. These forms were: cement containing simulated fission product sludges, vermiculite containing organic liquids, and cellulosics contaminated with α-emitting transuranic isotopes. For cement waste forms exposed to γ-radiolysis, an equilibrium hydrogen pressure was reached that was dose rate dependent. For α-radiolysis, equilibrium was not reached. With organic wastes (n-octane on vermiculite), H 2 and traces of CO 2 and CH 4 were produced, and O 2 was consumed with both radiations. Only energy absorbed by the organic material was effective in producing H 2 . At low dose rates with both α- and γ-irradiations, G(H 2 ) was 4.5 and G(-O 2 ) was 5.0. Also, equilibrium was not obtained. For cellulosic material, H 2 , CO 2 , and CO were produced in the ratio of 1.0:0.7:0.3, and O 2 was consumed. With α-radiolysis, G(gas) was dose dependent; measured values ranged from 2.2 to 0.6 as the dose increased. Implications of all these results on long-term storage of radioactive waste are discussed. Some data from an actual nuclear wasteform are also presented

  14. Environmental and ethical aspects of long-lived radioactive waste disposal

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1994-01-01

    All countries engaged in nuclear production give special attention to the safe disposal of radioactive waste, particularly concerning long-term protection of humans and the environment. Many other countries using radioactive materials for medical, industrial or research purposes only are also concerned by this issue. Practically speaking, all countries are generally interested in keeping abreast of the development of radioactive waste management policies and of underlying technical and non-technical studies. These issues and their influence on the decision-making process were examined at a special workshop of the NEA Radioactive Waste Management Committee. This volume presents the full proceedings of that workshop, including papers and transcribed discussions, which sought to provide a broad basis for an in-depth reflection on long-term disposal issues. (authors). 79 refs., 1 tab

  15. Nuclear wastes: research programs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    2003-01-01

    The management of long-living and high level radioactive wastes in France belongs to the framework of the December 30, 1991 law which defines three ways of research: the separation and transmutation of radionuclides, their reversible storage or disposal in deep geologic formations, and their processing and surface storage during long duration. Research works are done in partnership between public research and industrial organizations in many French and foreign laboratories. Twelve years after its enforcement, the impact of this law has overstepped the simple research framework and has led to a deep reflection of the society about the use of nuclear energy. This short paper presents the main results obtained so far in the three research ways, the general energy policy of the French government, the industrial progresses made in the framework of the 1991 law and the international context of the management of nuclear wastes. (J.S.)

  16. Systematics of criticality properties of actinide nuclides and its bearing on the long lived fission waste problem

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Srinivasan, M.; Rao, K.S.; Garg, S.B.; Iyengar, P.K.

    1989-01-01

    This paper reports on a systematic analysis of the criticality parameters of over twenty fissile and fertile isotopes of eight transthorium actinide elements that has been carried out by us. It is observed that K ∞ increases and critical mass decreases monotonically with the fissility parameter (Z 2 /A) of the nuclides. This implies that each and every isotope of transuranic elements such as Np, Am, Cm etc. which are produced as by-products during reactor operation is a more valuable nuclear fuel than the corresponding fissile/fissible isotopes of plutonium. This finding has a profound bearing on the long lived fission waste problem and supports the view that the byproduct actinide elements should be separated from the high level waste stream and recycled back into fission reactors, thereby eliminating one of the commonly voiced concerns regarding the acceptability of nuclear fission power

  17. Disposition of nuclear waste using subcritical accelerator-driven systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Venneri, F.; Li, N.; Williamson, M.; Houts, M.; Lawrence, G.

    1998-01-01

    Spent fuel from nuclear power plants contains large quantities of Pu, other actinides, and fission products (FP). This creates challenges for permanent disposal because of the long half-lives of some isotopes and the potential for diversion of the fissile material. Two issues of concern for the US repository concept are: (1) long-term radiological risk peaking tens-of-thousands of years in the future; and (2) short-term thermal loading (decay heat) that limits capacity. An accelerator-driven neutron source can destroy actinides through fission, and can convert long-lived fission products to shorter-lived or stable isotopes. Studies over the past decade have established that accelerator transmutation of waste (ATW) can have a major beneficial impact on the nuclear waste problem. Specifically, the ATW concept the authors are evaluating: (1) destroys over 99.9% of the actinides; (2) destroys over 99.9% of the Tc and I; (3) separates Sr-90 and Cs-137; (4) separates uranium from the spent fuel; (5) produces electric power

  18. Status of nuclear waste management

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kittel, J.H.

    1980-01-01

    This paper discusses what nuclear waste is and where it comes from, what the technical strategies are for disposing of this waste, compares the toxicity of nuclear waste to other materials that are more familiar to us, and finally, comments on why it is taking so long to get on with the job of isolating nuclear waste permanently. The author believes that the technical solutions for the management and disposal of high-level and low-level nuclear waste are adequately in hand. The issues that are delaying the implementation of this technology are almost entirely related to sociological and political considerations. High-level nuclear waste can be safely stored and isolated through a multiple barrier approach. Although it is a hazardous material and must be handled properly, its toxicity diminishes rapidly. It then becomes less hazardous than other materials that we deal with everyday in routine industrial or household operations. The disposal of low-level waste has not attracted as much public attention as high-level waste management. Nevertheless, it is just as important to the public. For example, the use of radioactive isotopes in medicine, and the many lives that are saved as a result, would be very greatly reduced if medical institutions had no place to dispose of their radioactive waste. The management of uranium mill tailings is similar in many technical aspects to low-level waste management. Institutional issues, however, have not become as important in the case of mill tailings disposal

  19. The problem of the long-term management of nuclear wastes; Le probleme de la gestion a long terme des dechets nucleaires

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2005-07-01

    The law from December 30, 1991, precisely defines 3 axes of researches for the management of high level and long-lived radioactive wastes: separation/transmutation, surface storage and underground disposal. A global evaluation report about these researches is to be supplied in 2006 by the French government to the Parliament. A first synthesis of the knowledge gained after 14 years of research has led the national commission of the public debate (CNDP) to organize a national debate about the general options of management of high-level and long-lived radioactive wastes before the 2006 date line. The debate comprises 4 public hearings (September 2005: Bar-le-Duc, Saint-Dizier, Pont-du-Gard, Cherbourg), 12 round-tables (October and November 2005: Paris, Joinville, Caen, Nancy, Marseille), a synthesis meeting (December 2005, Dunkerque) and a closing meeting (January 2006, Lyon). This document is the proceedings of the synthesis meeting of Dunkerque. It comprises an introduction which recalls the stakes and modalities of the debate, followed by a talk from the president of the national association of local commissions for nuclear activities information (ANCLI), and three synthesis talks from the particular commission of the public debate, the ministry of industry, and the committee of experts and counter-experts. These proceedings end with some questions and answers with the public. A slide presentation by B. Dessus about the progresses made in the debate on nuclear wastes management is attached to the document. (J.S.)

  20. What ethics should apply to the management of long-lived radioactive waste?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Strohl, P.

    2002-01-01

    Taking action now in the name of a responsible attitude towards humanity in the future: management of the long-term risk posed by certain types of radioactive waste may give rise to a kind of metamoral revolution which goes beyond its specific nature - as long as it remains in the province of reality, rather than the imagination. Following the decisions made by the French Government in December 1998 concerning the creation of two underground laboratories, and the recent granting of permission to build the laboratory at Bure in the Meuse, it is perhaps time to discuss the ethical questions raised by the management of radioactive waste, because the responses usually put forward remain too superficial. Furthermore, it is all too often accepted that they should be made subordinate to the debates on the future of the nuclear industry within the framework of energy policy, whereas the waste that the industry has generated already exists. The safety of this waste must therefore be guaranteed, both in the immediate future and in the long term, so that mankind and the environment are not exposed to levels of irradiation or contamination which exceed those permitted by the radiological protection standards - and this must be done until the danger disappears through radioactive decay, whatever the fate of the nuclear industry. However, we can be certain that any weakening in nuclear technology would adversely affect management of the downstream portion of the fuel cycle

  1. Role of fast reactor and its cycle to reduce nuclear waste burden

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Arie, Kazuo; Oomori, Takashi; Okita, Takeshi [Toshiba Corporation, 8, Shinsugita-cho, Isogo-ku, Yokohama 235-8523 (Japan); Kawashima, Masatoshi [Toshiba Nuclear Engineering Services Corporation, 8, Shinsugita-cho, Isogo-ku, Yokohama, 235-8523 (Japan); Kotake, Shoji [The Japan Atomic Power Company, 1-1, Kanda-Mitoshiro-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-0053 (Japan); Fuji-ie, Yoichi [Nuclear Salon Fuji-ie, 1-11-10, Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0034 (Japan)

    2013-07-01

    The role of the metal fuel fast reactor with recycling of actinides and the five long-lived fission products based on the concept of the Self-Consistent Nuclear Energy System has been examined by evaluating the reduction of nuclear wastes during the transition period to this reactor system. The evaluation was done in comparison to an LWR once-through case and a conventional actinide recycling oxide fast reactor. As a result, it is quantitatively clarified that a metal fuel fast reactor with actinide and the five long-lived fission products (I{sup 129}, Tc{sup 99}, Zr{sup 93}, Cs{sup 135} and Sn{sup 126}) recycling could play a significant role in reducing the nuclear waste burden including the current LWR wastes. This can be achieved by using a fast neutron spectrum reactor enhanced with metal fuel that brings high capability as a 'waste burner'. (authors)

  2. Long-lived high and intermediate level radioactive wastes: defining the context, stakes and perspectives

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2006-01-01

    The French law from December 30, 1991 has defined an ambitious 15 years program of researches in order to explore the different possible paths for the long-term management of long-lived high and intermediate level radioactive wastes. The law foresees also that at the end of the 15 years research program, a project of law will be prepared by the French government and transmitted to the European parliament in 2006. A public debate has been organized and emceed in 2005 in order dialogue with the general public and to gather its questions, remarks and fears. In the framework of their contribution to this debate, the ministries of industry and environment have prepared this document which answers some key questions about radioactive waste management: where do wastes come from, what are the risks, how are they managed today in France and in foreign countries, what are the results of the researches carried out during 15 years, what are the advantages and drawbacks of each waste management solution considered, what is the perspective of application of each solution, what is the position of experts, what will be the decision process. This synthetic document supplies some reference marks to better understand these different points. Some pedagogical files about radioactivity, fuel cycle, and nuclear industry activities are attached to the document. (J.S.)

  3. Studies on separation, conversion and transmutation of long-living radionuclides. A contribution to advanced disposal of high-level radioactive wastes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Modolo, Giuseppe

    2014-01-01

    The future role and acceptance of nuclear energy will be decisively determined by the safe operation of existing and future facilities and by convincing solutions for nuclear waste management. With respect to the long half-lives of some radionuclides (actinides and fission products) and the related question as to whether the release of radionuclides from a repository can be prevented over very long periods of time, alternatives to the direct disposal of spent nuclear fuels are discussed internationally. As a potential complementary solution, the technological option with partitioning and transmutation (P and T) is considered. This method separates and converts the long-lived radionuclides into stable, short-lived nuclides via neutron reactions in dedicated facilities. Against this background, the first main chapter of the present work looks at the chemical separation of actinides from high-level reprocessing wastes. In order to achieve a better understanding of the processes at the molecular level, basic investigations were also performed on separating actinides(III) via liquid-liquid or liquid-solid extraction. At the same time, reversible processes were developed and tested on the laboratory scale with the aid of mixer-settlers and centrifugal extractors. The subsequent chapter focuses on separating the long-lived fission product iodine-129 from radioactive wastes as well as from process effluents arising from reprocessing. As part of this work, different simple chemical and physical techniques were developed for complete recovery with respect to transmutation or conditioning in host matrices that are sufficiently stable for final storage. Its high mobility and radiological properties make iodine-129 relevant for the long-term safety assessment of final repositories. In addition, transmutation experiments on iodine-127/129 targets were performed using high-energy protons (145-2600 MeV). Due to the expected low cross sections (<100 mb), transmutation with protons

  4. Disposal of radioactive waste from nuclear research facilities

    CERN Document Server

    Maxeiner, H; Kolbe, E

    2003-01-01

    Swiss radioactive wastes originate from nuclear power plants (NPP) and from medicine (e.g. radiation sources), industry (e.g. fire detectors) and research (e.g. CERN, PSI). Their conditioning, characterisation and documentation has to meet the demands given by the Swiss regulatory authorities including all information needed for a safe disposal in future repositories. For NPP wastes, arisings as well as the processes responsible for the buildup of short and long lived radionuclides are well known, and the conditioning procedures are established. The radiological inventories are determined on a routinely basis using a combined system of measurements and calculational programs. For waste from research, the situation is more complicated. The wide spectrum of different installations combined with a poorly known history of primary and secondary radiation results in heterogeneous waste sorts with radiological inventories quite different from NPP waste and difficult to measure long lived radionuclides. In order to c...

  5. Modeling minor actinide multiple recycling in a lead-cooled fast reactor to demonstrate a fuel cycle without long-lived nuclear waste

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stanisz Przemysław

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available The concept of closed nuclear fuel cycle seems to be the most promising options for the efficient usage of the nuclear energy resources. However, it can be implemented only in fast breeder reactors of the IVth generation, which are characterized by the fast neutron spectrum. The lead-cooled fast reactor (LFR was defined and studied on the level of technical design in order to demonstrate its performance and reliability within the European collaboration on ELSY (European Lead-cooled System and LEADER (Lead-cooled European Advanced Demonstration Reactor projects. It has been demonstrated that LFR meets the requirements of the closed nuclear fuel cycle, where plutonium and minor actinides (MA are recycled for reuse, thereby producing no MA waste. In this study, the most promising option was realized when entire Pu + MA material is fully recycled to produce a new batch of fuel without partitioning. This is the concept of a fuel cycle which asymptotically tends to the adiabatic equilibrium, where the concentrations of plutonium and MA at the beginning of the cycle are restored in the subsequent cycle in the combined process of fuel transmutation and cooling, removal of fission products (FPs, and admixture of depleted uranium. In this way, generation of nuclear waste containing radioactive plutonium and MA can be eliminated. The paper shows methodology applied to the LFR equilibrium fuel cycle assessment, which was developed for the Monte Carlo continuous energy burnup (MCB code, equipped with enhanced modules for material processing and fuel handling. The numerical analysis of the reactor core concerns multiple recycling and recovery of long-lived nuclides and their influence on safety parameters. The paper also presents a general concept of the novel IVth generation breeder reactor with equilibrium fuel and its future role in the management of MA.

  6. Nuclear waste management in Switzerland - concept and plan of realisation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1992-12-01

    This reports begins by discussing some basic principles of the nuclear waste management concept, the boundary conditions imposed by social considerations, and technical, economic and organisational parameters. The overall concept will then be presented as it applies to the two disposal strategies for short-lived wastes and for high-level and long-lived intermediate-level wastes and spent fuel. The current status of project work is discussed and future plans, objectives and time schedules are presented. (author) figs., tabs., 20 refs

  7. Final disposal of high-level radioactive waste and/or long-living nuclear waste in a clay formation in the Belgian-Dutch border region; Definitieve berging van hoogradioactief en/of langlevend kernafval in een kleiformatie in de Belgisch-Nederlandse grensstreek

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Weyns, W.

    2010-10-15

    Recently, the Belgian organization NIRAS presented its 'Draft Waste Plan'. In this plan NIRAS chooses clay as the reference option for final geological disposal of high-level radioactive and/or long-living nuclear waste (b and C waste). The author presents an overview of the current state of affairs in scientific research on underground storage of radioactive waste in Belgian clay layers. [Dutch] Recent presenteerde het Belgische NIRAS het 'Ontwerp Afvalplan'. In dit plan kiest NIRAS als referentieoptie voor definitieve geologische berging van hoogradioactief en/of langlevend kernafval (B- en C-afval) in klei. De auteur geeft een overzicht van de stand van zaken van wetenschappelijk onderzoek naar ondergrondse opslag van radioactief afval in Belgische kleilagen.

  8. Social scientist on board in long-term management of high level and/or long-lived radioactive waste in Belgium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Parotte, C.

    2013-01-01

    In Belgium, the long-term management of radioactive waste is under the exclusive competence of the Belgian Agency for Radioactive Waste and Enriched Fissile Materials (knew as ONDRAF/NIRAS). Unlike low-level waste, no institutional policy has yet been formally approved for the long-term management of high level and/or long-lived radioactive waste (knew as B and C waste). In this context, ONDRAF/NIRAS considers the public and stakeholders' participation as an essential factor in the formulation of an effective and legitimate policy. This is why it has decided to integrate them in different ways during the elaboration of the Waste Plan (ONDRAF/NIRAS-document containing guidelines to make a principled policy decision about nuclear waste management). To do so, social scientists have been regularly mobilized either as external evaluators, follow-up committee members, or participatory observants. Hence, the Waste Plan is only the first step in a long decision-making process. For a PhD student under contract with ONDRAF/NIRAS, this mandate consists of thinking out a way to construct an inter-organizational innovative communication system that would be participative, transparent and embedded in a long-term perspective, thus integrating all the further legal steps to take throughout the decision-making process. In this regard, two paradoxical constraints must be taken into account: on the one hand, my own influence on the legal decision-making process should remain limited, because of a series of constraints, lock-ins and previous decisions which have to be respected; on the other hand, ONDRAF/NIRAS expects the research conclusions to be policy relevant and useful. In this paper, the purpose is twofold. Firstly, the issues raised by this policy mandate is an opportunity to question the per-formative dimensions of the social scientist in the decision-making process and, more specifically, to have a reflexive view on our position as PhD Student. Secondly, assuming the

  9. Social scientist on board in long-term management of high level and/or long-lived radioactive waste in Belgium

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Parotte, C. [Spiral Research Center, Department of Political Sciences, Faculty of Law, University of Liege (Belgium)

    2013-07-01

    In Belgium, the long-term management of radioactive waste is under the exclusive competence of the Belgian Agency for Radioactive Waste and Enriched Fissile Materials (knew as ONDRAF/NIRAS). Unlike low-level waste, no institutional policy has yet been formally approved for the long-term management of high level and/or long-lived radioactive waste (knew as B and C waste). In this context, ONDRAF/NIRAS considers the public and stakeholders' participation as an essential factor in the formulation of an effective and legitimate policy. This is why it has decided to integrate them in different ways during the elaboration of the Waste Plan (ONDRAF/NIRAS-document containing guidelines to make a principled policy decision about nuclear waste management). To do so, social scientists have been regularly mobilized either as external evaluators, follow-up committee members, or participatory observants. Hence, the Waste Plan is only the first step in a long decision-making process. For a PhD student under contract with ONDRAF/NIRAS, this mandate consists of thinking out a way to construct an inter-organizational innovative communication system that would be participative, transparent and embedded in a long-term perspective, thus integrating all the further legal steps to take throughout the decision-making process. In this regard, two paradoxical constraints must be taken into account: on the one hand, my own influence on the legal decision-making process should remain limited, because of a series of constraints, lock-ins and previous decisions which have to be respected; on the other hand, ONDRAF/NIRAS expects the research conclusions to be policy relevant and useful. In this paper, the purpose is twofold. Firstly, the issues raised by this policy mandate is an opportunity to question the per-formative dimensions of the social scientist in the decision-making process and, more specifically, to have a reflexive view on our position as PhD Student. Secondly, assuming the

  10. Main ecopathology syndromes of children living in the area of nuclear waste tailings

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Saatova G. M.

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available the clinical forms of ecopathology and clinical and epidemiological features of congenital and acquired diseases of children living in the area of nuclear waste tailings (city Mailu-Suu Kyrgyz Republic are studied in this article. The authors figured out that 52.6% of children living in stressful environmental conditions had a high medical and social risk of chronic disease.

  11. Handling nuclear waste over long periods

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ancelin, B.; Chenevier, E.

    1983-01-01

    The handling of nuclear waste over long periods throws up new problems, such as the safety for a very long term and the employment of economic logic in order to justify choices involving extended time scales. The result is a very great difficulty of apprehension of the problem by the specialists as well as by the public. A clear policy decision, associated with a coherent administrative organization, will therefore have to make up for an impossible technical-economical optimization of the various possible options. The difficulty of simple technical choices is only going to reinforce this wish; the absence of a global and comparative measuring system is responsible for the fact that in this field the passions often override many of the scientific truths [fr

  12. COMPAS: a European project on the ''comparison of alternative waste management strategies for long-lived radioactive wastes''. Scope, working methods and conclusions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dutton, L.M.C.; Hillis, Z.K.; Roehlig, K.J.

    2004-01-01

    The paper presents the content and major findings of a project on the ''COMParison of Alternative waste management Strategies for long-lived radioactive wastes'' (COMPAS) carried out within the 5 th framework programme of the European commission. Under the leadership of NNC (UK), the project was carried out by individuals representing waste management organisations from 15 European countries. After having compiled information on the nature and amount of long-lived radioactive waste to be managed, issues influencing the selection of waste management strategies and options, presently adopted national strategies as well as options for the future were addressed. Conclusions concerning key issues for the success or otherwise of strategies and management solutions were drawn. (orig.)

  13. Reduction of the radio-toxicity of long-lived nuclear wastes. Theoretical and strategic studies of the transmutation of minor actinides and fission products in electronuclear reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sala, Stephanie

    1995-01-01

    The first objective of this research thesis is to establish an assessment of the current situation regarding long-lived nuclear wastes: their identification, quantities produced in electronuclear reactors and during the fuel cycle, and their toxicity on the long term (until millions of years). The author then proposes a synthesis of possible solutions of management, particularly the solution based on separation and transmutation of these materials in electronuclear reactors, as well as of the consequences on the core and fuel cycle parameters. An application study is performed on an electronuclear fleet which, according to different scenarios, may comprise Pressurised Water Reactors and Fast Breeder Reactors, in order to assess the opportunities and constraints of such a solution, as well as expected benefits on assessments regarding materials, activity and radio-toxicity on the long term while taking present technologies into account [fr

  14. Concerted action on the retrievability of long lived radioactive waste in deep underground repositories - progress to date

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dodd, D.H.

    2000-01-01

    Within the EURATOM Framework Programme: Nuclear Fission Safety, a Concerted Action on the retrievability of long lived radioactive waste in deep underground repositories is being carried out. This Concerted Action commenced on the 1st of January 1998 and involves experts from nine different European countries. The Concerted Action will be completed by the 31st of December 1999. This paper gives a brief overview of the objectives of the Concerted Action, the work programme that has been defined to meet these objectives, the work performed to date, and the remaining work programme. (author)

  15. Institute of Energy and Climate Research IEK-6. Nuclear waste management and reactor safety report 2009/2010. Material science for nuclear waste management

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Klinkenberg, M.; Neumeier, S.; Bosbach, D.

    2011-01-01

    Due to the use of nuclear energy about 17.000 t (27.000 m 3 ) of high level waste and about 300.000 m 3 of low and intermediated level waste will have accumulated in Germany until 2022. Research in the Institute of Energy and Climate Research (IEK-6), Nuclear Waste Management and Reactor Safety Division focuses on fundamental and applied aspects of the safe management of nuclear waste - in particular the nuclear aspects. In principle, our research in Forschungszentrum Juelich is looking at the material science/solid state aspects of nuclear waste management. It is organized in several research areas: The long-term safety of nuclear waste disposal is a key issue when it comes to the final disposal of high level nuclear waste in a deep geological formation. We are contributing to the scientific basis for the safety case of a nuclear waste repository in Germany. In Juelich we are focusing on a fundamental understanding of near field processes within a waste repository system. The main research topics are spent fuel corrosion and the retention of radionuclides by secondary phases. In addition, innovative waste management strategies are investigated to facilitate a qualified decision on the best strategy for Germany. New ceramic waste forms for disposal in a deep geological formation are studied as well as the partitioning of long-lived actinides. These research areas are supported by our structure research group, which is using experimental and computational approaches to examine actinide containing compounds. Complementary to these basic science oriented activities, IEK-6 also works on rather applied aspects. The development of non-destructive methods for the characterisation of nuclear waste packages has a long tradition in Juelich. Current activities focus on improving the segmented gamma scanning technique and the prompt gamma neutron activation analysis. Furthermore, the waste treatment group is developing concepts for the safe management of nuclear graphite

  16. Institute of Energy and Climate Research IEK-6. Nuclear waste management and reactor safety report 2009/2010. Material science for nuclear waste management

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Klinkenberg, M; Neumeier, S; Bosbach, D [eds.

    2011-07-01

    Due to the use of nuclear energy about 17.000 t (27.000 m{sup 3}) of high level waste and about 300.000 m{sup 3} of low and intermediated level waste will have accumulated in Germany until 2022. Research in the Institute of Energy and Climate Research (IEK-6), Nuclear Waste Management and Reactor Safety Division focuses on fundamental and applied aspects of the safe management of nuclear waste - in particular the nuclear aspects. In principle, our research in Forschungszentrum Juelich is looking at the material science/solid state aspects of nuclear waste management. It is organized in several research areas: The long-term safety of nuclear waste disposal is a key issue when it comes to the final disposal of high level nuclear waste in a deep geological formation. We are contributing to the scientific basis for the safety case of a nuclear waste repository in Germany. In Juelich we are focusing on a fundamental understanding of near field processes within a waste repository system. The main research topics are spent fuel corrosion and the retention of radionuclides by secondary phases. In addition, innovative waste management strategies are investigated to facilitate a qualified decision on the best strategy for Germany. New ceramic waste forms for disposal in a deep geological formation are studied as well as the partitioning of long-lived actinides. These research areas are supported by our structure research group, which is using experimental and computational approaches to examine actinide containing compounds. Complementary to these basic science oriented activities, IEK-6 also works on rather applied aspects. The development of non-destructive methods for the characterisation of nuclear waste packages has a long tradition in Juelich. Current activities focus on improving the segmented gamma scanning technique and the prompt gamma neutron activation analysis. Furthermore, the waste treatment group is developing concepts for the safe management of nuclear

  17. VESPA. Behaviour of long-lived fission and activation products in the nearfield of a nuclear waste repository and the possibilities of their retention

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bischofer, Barbara; Hagemann, Sven [Gesellschaft fuer Anlagen- und Reaktorsicherheit (GRS) gGmbH, Koeln (Germany); Altmaier, Marcus [Karlsruher Institut fuer Technologie (KIT) (Germany); and others

    2016-06-15

    The present document is the final report of the Joint Research Project VESPA (Behaviour of Long-lived Fission and Activation Products in the Near Field of a Nuclear Waste Repository and the Possibilities of Their Retention), started in July 2010 with a duration of four years. The following four institutions were collaborative Partners in VESPA: - Gesellschaft fuer Anlagen- und Reaktorsicherheit (GRS) gGmbH - Institut fuer Energie- und Klimaforschung, IEK-6: Nukleare Entsorgung und Reaktorsicherheit, Forschungszentrum Juelich (FZJ) - Institut fuer Ressourcenoekologie (IRE), Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) - Institut fuer Nukleare Entsorgung (INE), Karlsruher Institut fuer Technologie (KIT) VESPA was funded by the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Energy (BMWi) under the contract numbers 02 E 10770 (GRS), 02 E 10780 (FZJ-IEF-6), 02 E 10790 (HZDR-IRE), 02 E 10800 (KIT-INE).

  18. Progress in long-lived radioactive waste management and disposal at the waste isolation pilot plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Triay, I.R.; Matthews, M.L.; Eriksson, L.G.

    2001-01-01

    The Salado Formation is buried more than 350 m beneath the sands and cacti of the Chihuahuan Desert and hosts the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) deep geological repository at a depth of approximately 650 m. Since the WIPP repository is at least 10 years ahead of any other repository development for long-lived radioactive waste, other radioactive waste management organizations and institutions could benefit both scientifically and politically from sharing the lessons learned at WIPP. Benefits would include using existing expertise and facilities to cost-effectively address and solve program-specific issues and to train staff. The characteristics of the WIPP repository and infrastructure are described in this paper. (author)

  19. Progress in long-lived radioactive waste management and disposal at the waste isolation pilot plant

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Triay, I R; Matthews, M L [U.S. Dept. of Energy Carlsbad Field Office, New Mexico (United States); Eriksson, L G [GRAM, Inc., Albuquerque, NM (United States)

    2001-07-01

    The Salado Formation is buried more than 350 m beneath the sands and cacti of the Chihuahuan Desert and hosts the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) deep geological repository at a depth of approximately 650 m. Since the WIPP repository is at least 10 years ahead of any other repository development for long-lived radioactive waste, other radioactive waste management organizations and institutions could benefit both scientifically and politically from sharing the lessons learned at WIPP. Benefits would include using existing expertise and facilities to cost-effectively address and solve program-specific issues and to train staff. The characteristics of the WIPP repository and infrastructure are described in this paper. (author)

  20. Progress in determination of long-lived radionuclides by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Becker, J.S.; Dietze, H.J.

    2000-01-01

    Mass spectrometric methods (such as inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry - ICP-MS and laser ablation (LA)-ICP-MS) with their ability to provide a very sensitive multielemental and precise isotopic analysis have become established for the determination of radionuclides in quite different sample materials. The determination of long-lived radionuclides is of increasing interest for the characterization of radioactive waste materials and for the detection of radionuclide contamination in environmental materials in which several radioactive nuclides are present from fallout due to nuclear weapons testing, nuclear power plants or nuclear accidents. Due to its multielement capability, excellent sensitivity, low detection limits (up to sub pg I 1 range), very good precision, easy sample preparation and measurement procedures ICP-MS of aqueous solutions has been increasingly applied for the ultrasensitive determination of long-lived radionuclides such as 99 Tc, 129 I, 230 Th, 232 Th, 234 U, 235 U, 236 U, 239 Pu, 240 Pu and 241 Am and precise isotope ratio measurements of U,Th and Pu. The application especially of microanalytical methods (analysis of some MU by flow injection and on-line coupling techniques as capillary electrophoresis (CE-ICP-MS) or HPLC-ICP-MS) for the precise determination nuclide abundances and concentration of long-lived radionuclides at ultra trace concentration levels in radioactive waste and also for controlling contamination from radioactive waste in the environment is a challenging task

  1. Mass spectrometry of long-lived radionuclides

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Becker, Johanna Sabine.

    2003-01-01

    The capability of determining element concentrations at the trace and ultratrace level and isotope ratios is a main feature of inorganic mass spectrometry. The precise and accurate determination of isotope ratios of long-lived natural and artificial radionuclides is required, e.g. for their environmental monitoring and health control, for studying radionuclide migration, for age dating, for determining isotope ratios of radiogenic elements in the nuclear industry, for quality assurance and determination of the burn-up of fuel material in a nuclear power plant, for reprocessing plants, nuclear material accounting and radioactive waste control. Inorganic mass spectrometry, especially inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) as the most important inorganic mass spectrometric technique today, possesses excellent sensitivity, precision and good accuracy for isotope ratio measurements and practically no restriction with respect to the ionization potential of the element investigated--therefore, thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS), which has been used as the dominant analytical technique for precise isotope ratio measurements of long-lived radionuclides for many decades, is being replaced increasingly by ICP-MS. In the last few years instrumental progress in improving figures of merit for the determination of isotope ratio measurements of long-lived radionuclides in ICP-MS has been achieved by the application of a multiple ion collector device (MC-ICP-MS) and the introduction of the collision cell interface in order to dissociate disturbing argon-based molecular ions, to reduce the kinetic energy of ions and neutralize the disturbing noble gas ions (e.g. of 129 Xe + for the determination of 129 I). The review describes the state of the art and the progress of different inorganic mass spectrometric techniques such as ICP-MS, laser ablation ICP-MS vs. TIMS, glow discharge mass spectrometry, secondary ion mass spectrometry, resonance ionization mass

  2. Characterisation of long-lived low and intermediate-level radioactive wastes in the Nordic Countries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Broden, K.; Carugati, S.; Brodersen, K.; Carlsson, T.; Viitanen, P.; Walderhaug, T.; Sneve, M.; Hornkjoel, S.; Backe, S.

    1997-11-01

    The present report is final report from a study on characterisation of radioactive waters in the Nordic countries. The study has mainly been focused on long-lived low and intermediate level radioactive waste. Methods to measure or estimate the activity content and the general composition are discussed. Recommendations are given regarding characterisation of waste under treatment and characterisation of already produced waste packages. (au)

  3. Characterisation of long-lived low and intermediate-level radioactive wastes in the Nordic Countries

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Broden, K. [Studsvik RadWaste AB, (El Salvador); Carugati, S.; Brodersen, K. [Forskningscenter Risoe, (Denmark); Carlsson, T.; Viitanen, P. [VVT, (Finland); Walderhaug, T. [Icelandic Radiation Protection Institute (Iceland); Sneve, M.; Hornkjoel, S. [Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority (Norway); Backe, S. [Institute for Energy Technology (Norway)

    1997-11-01

    The present report is final report from a study on characterisation of radioactive waters in the Nordic countries. The study has mainly been focused on long-lived low and intermediate level radioactive waste. Methods to measure or estimate the activity content and the general composition are discussed. Recommendations are given regarding characterisation of waste under treatment and characterisation of already produced waste packages. (au).

  4. Science, Society, and America's Nuclear Waste: Nuclear Waste, Unit 1. Teacher Guide. Second Edition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Department of Energy, Washington, DC. Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management, Washington, DC.

    This guide is Unit 1 of the four-part series Science, Society, and America's Nuclear Waste produced by the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management. The goal of this unit is to help students establish the relevance of the topic of nuclear waste to their everyday lives and activities. Particular attention is…

  5. Theory of long-lived nuclear spin states in methyl groups and quantum-rotor induced polarisation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dumez, Jean-Nicolas; Håkansson, Pär; Mamone, Salvatore; Meier, Benno; Stevanato, Gabriele; Hill-Cousins, Joseph T; Roy, Soumya Singha; Brown, Richard C D; Pileio, Giuseppe; Levitt, Malcolm H

    2015-01-28

    Long-lived nuclear spin states have a relaxation time much longer than the longitudinal relaxation time T1. Long-lived states extend significantly the time scales that may be probed with magnetic resonance, with possible applications to transport and binding studies, and to hyperpolarised imaging. Rapidly rotating methyl groups in solution may support a long-lived state, consisting of a population imbalance between states of different spin exchange symmetries. Here, we expand the formalism for describing the behaviour of long-lived nuclear spin states in methyl groups, with special attention to the hyperpolarisation effects observed in (13)CH3 groups upon rapidly converting a material with low-barrier methyl rotation from the cryogenic solid state to a room-temperature solution [M. Icker and S. Berger, J. Magn. Reson. 219, 1 (2012)]. We analyse the relaxation properties of methyl long-lived states using semi-classical relaxation theory. Numerical simulations are supplemented with a spherical-tensor analysis, which captures the essential properties of methyl long-lived states.

  6. Theory of long-lived nuclear spin states in methyl groups and quantum-rotor induced polarisation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dumez, Jean-Nicolas; Håkansson, Pär; Mamone, Salvatore; Meier, Benno; Stevanato, Gabriele; Hill-Cousins, Joseph T.; Roy, Soumya Singha; Brown, Richard C. D.; Pileio, Giuseppe; Levitt, Malcolm H.

    2015-01-01

    Long-lived nuclear spin states have a relaxation time much longer than the longitudinal relaxation time T 1 . Long-lived states extend significantly the time scales that may be probed with magnetic resonance, with possible applications to transport and binding studies, and to hyperpolarised imaging. Rapidly rotating methyl groups in solution may support a long-lived state, consisting of a population imbalance between states of different spin exchange symmetries. Here, we expand the formalism for describing the behaviour of long-lived nuclear spin states in methyl groups, with special attention to the hyperpolarisation effects observed in 13 CH 3 groups upon rapidly converting a material with low-barrier methyl rotation from the cryogenic solid state to a room-temperature solution [M. Icker and S. Berger, J. Magn. Reson. 219, 1 (2012)]. We analyse the relaxation properties of methyl long-lived states using semi-classical relaxation theory. Numerical simulations are supplemented with a spherical-tensor analysis, which captures the essential properties of methyl long-lived states

  7. Place of the final disposal of short lived dismantling waste; Plats foer slutfoervaring av kortlivat rivningsavfall

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2013-01-15

    This report deals with the short-lived low and intermediate level radioactive waste, which will mainly arise from the dismantling of the Swedish nuclear power plants, but also the dismantling of other nuclear facilities. For these installations to be dismantled, there must be the capacity to receive and dispose of dismantling waste. SKB plans to expand the existing final repository for short-lived radioactive waste (SFR) in Forsmark for this purpose. The legislation requires alternatives to the chosen location. The alternate location for the disposal of decommissioning waste SKB has chosen to compare with is a location in the Simpevarp area outside Oskarshamn. There are currently Oskarshamn nuclear power plant and SKB between stock 'CLAB'. The choice of Simpevarp as alternative location is based on that it's one of the places in the country where data on the bedrock is available to an extent that allows an assessment of the prospects for long-term security, such an assessment is actually showing good potential, and that the location provide realistic opportunities to put into practice the disposal of decommissioning waste. At a comparison between the disposal of short-lived decommissioning waste in an extension of SFR with the option to build a separate repository for short-lived decommissioning waste in Simpevarp, the conclusion is that both options offer potentially good prospects for long-term security. The differences still indicated speaks to the Forsmark advantage. Similar conclusions were obtained when comparing the factors of environment, health and social aspects.

  8. Climate Considerations in Long-Term Safety Assessments for Nuclear Waste Repositories

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Naeslund, Jens-Ove; Brandefelt, Jenny; Claesson Liljedahl, Lillemor [Svensk Kaernbraenslehantering AB, Stockholm (Sweden)], E-mail: jens-ove.naslund@skb.se

    2013-05-15

    For a deep geological repository for spent nuclear fuel planned in Sweden, the safety assessment covers up to 1 million years. Climate scenarios range from high-end global warming for the coming 100 000 years, through deep permafrost, to large ice sheets during glacial conditions. In contrast, in an existing repository for short-lived waste the activity decays to low levels within a few tens of thousands of years. The shorter assessment period, 100 000 years, requires more focus on climate development over the coming tens of thousands of years, including the earliest possibility for permafrost growth and freezing of the engineered system. The handling of climate and climate change in safety assessments must be tailor-made for each repository concept and waste type. However, due to the uncertain future climate development on these vast time scales, all safety assessments for nuclear waste repositories require a range of possible climate scenarios.

  9. A new concept for accelerator driven transmutation of nuclear wastes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arthur, E.D.

    1991-01-01

    A new concept for an accelerator-driven transmutation system is described. The central feature of the concept is generation of intense fluxes of thermal neutrons. In the system all long-lived radionuclides comprising high-level nuclear waste can be transmuted efficiently. Transmutation takes place in a unique, low material inventory environment. Presently two principal areas are being investigated for application of the concept. The first is associated with cleanup of defense high-level waste at DOE sites such as Hanford. The second, longer term area involves production of electric power using a coupled accelerator-multiplying blanket system. This system would utilize natural thorium or uranium and would transmute long-lived components of high-level waste concurrently during operation. 5 refs., 5 figs

  10. Nuclear waste management

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wyatt, A.

    1978-01-01

    The Canadian Nuclear Association has specific views on the following aspects of waste management: a) public information and public participation programs should be encouraged; b) positive political leadership is essential; c) a national plan and policy are necessary; d) all hazardous materials should receive the same care as radioactive wastes; e) power plant construction need not be restricted as long as there is a commitment to nuclear waste management; f) R and D should be funded consistently for nuclear waste management and ancillary topics like alternative fuel cycles and reprocessing. (E.C.B.)

  11. Treating nuclear waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marriott, R.; Henyey, F.S.; Hochstim, A.R.

    1984-01-01

    A method of decreasing the amount of relatively long-lived fission products in radioactive waste materials comprises the steps of: separating relatively short-lived radioactive nuclides and stable nuclides from the waste material and storing at least some of them, exposing the remaining waste to a neutron flux in order to induce transmutations, separating the relatively short-lived radioactive nuclides and stable nuclides from the exposed materials and storing at least some of them, and repeating the exposure and separation steps

  12. Determination of long-lived radionuclide (10Be, 41Ca, 129I) concentrations in nuclear waste by accelerator mass spectrometry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nottoli, Emmanuelle; Bienvenu, Philippe; Labet, Alexandre; Bertaux, Maite; Bourles, Didier; Arnold, Maurice

    2013-01-01

    Radiological characterization of nuclear waste is essential for storage sites management. However, most of Long-Lived Radionuclides (LLRN), important for long-term management, are difficult to measure since concentration levels are very low and waste matrices generally complex. In an industrial approach, LLRN concentrations are not directly measured in waste samples but assessed from scaling factors with respect to easily measured gamma emitters. Ideally, the key nuclide chosen ( 60 Co, 137 Cs) should be produced by a similar mechanism (fission or activation) as the LLRN of interest and should have similar physicochemical properties. However, the uncertainty on the scaling factors, determined from experimental and/or calculation data, can be quite important. Consequently, studies are performed to develop analytical procedures which would lead to determine precisely the concentration of LLRN in nuclear waste. In this context, the aim of this study was to determine the concentrations of three LLRN: 129 I (T 1/2 = 15.7*10 6 a), 41 Ca (T 1/2 = 9.94*10 4 a) and 10 Be (T 1/2 = 1.387*10 6 a) in spent resins used for primary fluid purification in Pressurized Water Reactors using Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) for measurement. The AMS technique combined mass spectrometry and nuclear physics to achieve highly efficient molecular and elemental isobars separation. Energies of several Million Electron-Volt transferred to the ions in the first accelerating part of specifically developed tandem accelerators lead to molecular isobars destruction through interaction with the argon gas used to strip the injected negative ions to positive ones. At the exit of the tandem accelerator, the energy acquired in both accelerating parts allows an elemental isobars separation based on their significantly different energy loss (dE) while passing through a thickness of matter dx that is proportional to their atomic number (Z) and inversely proportional to ions velocity (v) according to the

  13. Institute of Energy and Climate Research IEK-6. Nuclear waste management and reactor safety report 2009/2010. Material science for nuclear waste management

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Klinkenberg, M.; Neumeier, S.; Bosbach, D. (eds.)

    2011-07-01

    Due to the use of nuclear energy about 17.000 t (27.000 m{sup 3}) of high level waste and about 300.000 m{sup 3} of low and intermediated level waste will have accumulated in Germany until 2022. Research in the Institute of Energy and Climate Research (IEK-6), Nuclear Waste Management and Reactor Safety Division focuses on fundamental and applied aspects of the safe management of nuclear waste - in particular the nuclear aspects. In principle, our research in Forschungszentrum Juelich is looking at the material science/solid state aspects of nuclear waste management. It is organized in several research areas: The long-term safety of nuclear waste disposal is a key issue when it comes to the final disposal of high level nuclear waste in a deep geological formation. We are contributing to the scientific basis for the safety case of a nuclear waste repository in Germany. In Juelich we are focusing on a fundamental understanding of near field processes within a waste repository system. The main research topics are spent fuel corrosion and the retention of radionuclides by secondary phases. In addition, innovative waste management strategies are investigated to facilitate a qualified decision on the best strategy for Germany. New ceramic waste forms for disposal in a deep geological formation are studied as well as the partitioning of long-lived actinides. These research areas are supported by our structure research group, which is using experimental and computational approaches to examine actinide containing compounds. Complementary to these basic science oriented activities, IEK-6 also works on rather applied aspects. The development of non-destructive methods for the characterisation of nuclear waste packages has a long tradition in Juelich. Current activities focus on improving the segmented gamma scanning technique and the prompt gamma neutron activation analysis. Furthermore, the waste treatment group is developing concepts for the safe management of nuclear

  14. French people and nuclear wastes; Les francais et les dechets nucleaires

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    D' Iribarne, Ph [Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), 75 - Paris (France)

    2005-07-01

    On March 21, 2005, the French minister of industry gave to the author of this document, the mission to shade a sociological light on the radioactive wastes perception by French people. The objective of this study was to supply an additional information before the laying down in 2006 of the decisions about the management of high-level and long-lived radioactive wastes. This inquiry, carried out between April 2004 and March 2005, stresses on the knowledge and doubts of the questioned people, on the vision they have of radioactive wastes and of their hazards, and on their opinion about the actors in concern (experts, nuclear companies, government, anti-nuclear groups, public). The last two parts of the report consider the different ways of waste management under study today, and the differences between the opinion of people living close to the Bure site and the opinion of people living in other regions. (J.S.)

  15. Nuclear waste management and sustainable development: the complexity of a decision in a controversial universe

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Le Dars, A.

    2002-01-01

    This PhD dissertation intends to demonstrate in what extent the concept of sustainable development applied to nuclear waste management requires a novel scientific approach. High-level and long-lived radioactive waste management needs to make decisions in taking into account multiple dimensions, characterised by uncertainty, irreversibility, and long term, and which are much debated. These scientific controversies often induce social conflicts due to the divergence in stakeholders point of views, values or interests. Therefore, nuclear waste management in a sustainable development constitutes a complex decision-making problem. This thesis focuses on high-level and long-lived radioactive waste management in the French context because this country is confronted with the most severe conflicts. Researches are operating in the 30 December 1991 law framework, and in 2006 a Parliament decision could be made concerning the choice of a long-term nuclear waste management solution. This survey studies in what extent economics can open to other scientific disciplines in using evaluation tools and decision-making procedures which better integrate several conflicting criteria. This work deals with the criticism of the epistemological and methodological foundations of economic evaluation, notably in questioning the realism of its hypothesis, and a qualitative survey directly made close to stakeholders goes deeper into the analysis of their complex relationships. The first part of this thesis puts in evidence the complexity of a sustainable nuclear waste management. Chapter 1 shows that sustainable nuclear waste management is a health and ecological problem irreducible to a technical solution, and Chapter 2 explains why sustainable nuclear waste management constitutes a social choice problem irreducible to an economic evaluation. The second part of this thesis shows that a concerted decision-making process seems to be a good procedure to overcome this complexity. Chapter 3 analyses

  16. Contributions of basic nuclear physics to the nuclear waste management

    Science.gov (United States)

    Flocard, Hubert

    2002-04-01

    Nuclear fission is presently a contested method of electricity production. The issue of nuclear waste management stands out among the reasons why. On the other hand, the nuclear industry has demonstrated its capacity to reliably generate cheap electricity while producing negligible amounts of greenhouse gases. These assets explain why this form of energy is still considered among the options for the long term production of electricity at least in developed countries. However, in order to tackle the still not adequately answered question of the waste, new schemes may have to be considered. Among those which have been advanced recently, the less polluting cycles such as those based on Thorium rather than Uranium and/or the transmutation of the minor actinides and some long lived fission products of the present cycle have been actively investigated. In both cases, it turns that the basic knowledge underlying these methods is either missing or incomplete. This situation opens a window of opportunity for useful contributions from basic nuclear physicists. This article describes some of them and presents the ongoing activities as well as some of the projects put forth for the short or medium term. .

  17. Materials and wastes from power generation of nuclear origin

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dessus, Benjamin; Guillemette, Andre; Laponche, Bernard; Zerbib, Jean-Claude

    2014-01-01

    In most countries, spent nuclear fuel is directly stored in pools and constitute the bulk of highly radioactive waste. In France, reprocessing separates spent fuel into three categories: uranium, plutonium, minor actinides and fission products. Hence, a vast amount of very diverse radioactive materials are stored in various sites and conditions, under two denominations: 'nuclear materials' (which can be or are partly recycled) and 'radioactive waste' which should be permanently disposed of. The production of highly radioactive and long-lived waste raise legitimate questions on the use of nuclear energy for power production and many people think that it's a sufficient reason for giving up this technique. Concerning existing radioactive waste, the alternative to deep disposal should be: a) dry storage of spent fuel and other existing waste in protected sites (bunkers or hills), and b) more active research on the possibilities to reduce both radioactivity and the lifetime of radioactive waste. (authors)

  18. Nuclear waste disposal

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hare, Tony.

    1990-01-01

    The Save Our Earth series has been designed to appeal to the inquiring minds of ''planet-friendly'' young readers. There is now a greater awareness of environmental issues and an increasing concern for a world no longer able to tolerate the onslaught of pollution, the depletion of natural resources and the effects of toxic chemicals. Each book approaches a specific topic in a way that is exciting and thought-provoking, presenting the facts in a style that is concise and appropriate. The series aims to demonstrate how various environmental subjects relate to our lives, and encourages the reader to accept not only responsibility for the planet, but also for its rescue and restoration. This volume, on nuclear waste disposal, explains how nuclear energy is harnessed in a nuclear reactor, what radioactive waste is, what radioactivity is and its effects, and the problems and possible solutions of disposing of nuclear waste. An awareness of the dangers of nuclear waste is sought. (author)

  19. Climate considerations in long-term safety assessments for nuclear waste repositories.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Näslund, Jens-Ove; Brandefelt, Jenny; Liljedahl, Lillemor Claesson

    2013-05-01

    For a deep geological repository for spent nuclear fuel planned in Sweden, the safety assessment covers up to 1 million years. Climate scenarios range from high-end global warming for the coming 100 000 years, through deep permafrost, to large ice sheets during glacial conditions. In contrast, in an existing repository for short-lived waste the activity decays to low levels within a few tens of thousands of years. The shorter assessment period, 100 000 years, requires more focus on climate development over the coming tens of thousands of years, including the earliest possibility for permafrost growth and freezing of the engineered system. The handling of climate and climate change in safety assessments must be tailor-made for each repository concept and waste type. However, due to the uncertain future climate development on these vast time scales, all safety assessments for nuclear waste repositories require a range of possible climate scenarios.

  20. Nuclear waste disposal

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lindblom, U.; Gnirk, P.

    1982-01-01

    The subject is discussed under the following headings: the form and final disposal of nuclear wastes; the natural rock and groundwater; the disturbed rock and the groundwater; long-term behavior of the rock and the groundwater; nuclear waste leakage into the groundwater; what does it all mean. (U.K.)

  1. Conceptual design and cost inputs associated with co-disposal of the spent fuel and long lived radioactive wastes in the deep geologic disposal facility

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fako, R.; Sociu, F.; Nicolae, R.; Barariu, G

    2013-01-01

    The paper aims to be an integrated approach for the containment and isolation of spent fuel and / or long lived radioactive wastes in a Deep Geologic Repository in Romania. Several scenarios could be defined for the management of spent fuel and long lived radioactive waste in Romania considering many specific constraints in Romania (political, geological, economic, demographic, etc.). This paper intends to be an upgrade of several Research, Development and Demonstration (RD&D) works performed by SITON specialists on this subject, taking into account also the conclusions of the Workshop ôCost estimation on spent nuclear fuel disposal in Romaniaö organized by IAEA in cooperation with ANDR at the beginning of this year in Romania.This paper is, also, addressed to decision makers with target on to adopt the best strategy for construction of Deep Geologic Repository in Romania. (authors)

  2. Prestudy of final disposal of long-lived low and intermediate level waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wiborgh, M.

    1995-01-01

    The repository for long-lived low and intermediate level waste, SFL 3-5, is foreseen to be located adjacent to the deep repository for spent encapsulated fuel, SFL 2. The SFL 3-5 repository comprises of three repository parts which will be used for the different categories of waste. In this report the work performed within a pre-study of the SFL 3-5 repository concept is summarised. The aim was to make a first preliminary and simplified assessment of the near-field as a barrier to radionuclide dispersion. A major task has been to compile information on the waste foreseen to be disposed of in SFL 3-5. The waste comprises of; low and intermediate level waste from Studsvik, operational waste from the central interim storage for spent fuel, CLAB, and the encapsulation plant, decommissioning waste from these facilities, and core components and internal parts from the reactors. The total waste volume has been estimated to about 25000 m 3 . The total activity content at repository closure is estimated to be about 1 ·10 17 Bq in SFL 3-5. At repository closure the short-lived radionuclides, for example Co-60 and Fe-55, have decayed considerably and the activity is dominated by nickel isotopes in the metallic waste from the reactors, to be disposed of in SFL 5. However, other radionuclides may be more or equally important from a safety point of view, e.g cesium-isotopes and actinides which are found in largest amounts in the SFL 3 waste. A first evaluation of the long term performance or the SFL 3-5 repository has been made. A systematic methodology for scenario formulation was tested. The near-field release of contaminants was calculated for a selected number of radionuclides and chemo-toxic elements. The radionuclide release calculations revealed that Cs-137 and Ni-63 would dominate the annual release from all repository parts during the first 1000 years after repository closure and that Ni-59 would dominate at longer times

  3. Prestudy of final disposal of long-lived low and intermediate level waste

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wiborgh, M [ed.; Kemakta Konsult AB., Stockholm (Sweden)

    1995-01-01

    The repository for long-lived low and intermediate level waste, SFL 3-5, is foreseen to be located adjacent to the deep repository for spent encapsulated fuel, SFL 2. The SFL 3-5 repository comprises of three repository parts which will be used for the different categories of waste. In this report the work performed within a pre-study of the SFL 3-5 repository concept is summarised. The aim was to make a first preliminary and simplified assessment of the near-field as a barrier to radionuclide dispersion. A major task has been to compile information on the waste foreseen to be disposed of in SFL 3-5. The waste comprises of; low and intermediate level waste from Studsvik, operational waste from the central interim storage for spent fuel, CLAB, and the encapsulation plant, decommissioning waste from these facilities, and core components and internal parts from the reactors. The total waste volume has been estimated to about 25000 m{sup 3}. The total activity content at repository closure is estimated to be about 1 {center_dot}10{sup 17} Bq in SFL 3-5. At repository closure the short-lived radionuclides, for example Co-60 and Fe-55, have decayed considerably and the activity is dominated by nickel isotopes in the metallic waste from the reactors, to be disposed of in SFL 5. However, other radionuclides may be more or equally important from a safety point of view, e.g cesium-isotopes and actinides which are found in largest amounts in the SFL 3 waste. A first evaluation of the long term performance or the SFL 3-5 repository has been made. A systematic methodology for scenario formulation was tested. The near-field release of contaminants was calculated for a selected number of radionuclides and chemo-toxic elements. The radionuclide release calculations revealed that Cs-137 and Ni-63 would dominate the annual release from all repository parts during the first 1000 years after repository closure and that Ni-59 would dominate at longer times.

  4. Nuclear waste transmutation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Leray, S.

    1995-01-01

    Accelerators can play a role in the disposal of long-lived radioactive waste: an alternative to the storage in deep underground repositories might transmuting long-lived elements into stable or short-lived ones in subcritical systems driven by spallation neutrons. These neutrons would be produced by a high intensity, intermediate energy proton accelerator irradiating a heavy target. Similar systems have also been proposed to produce energy with a minimized waste inventory. Since a good knowledge of the spallation process is essential for designing and optimizing the target-blanket assembly, new programmes aimed at studying spallation reactions are in progress. (author). 6 figs

  5. Development plan. High activity-long living wastes project. Abstract; Plan de developpement. Projet HAVL. Resume

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2007-07-01

    This brochure presents the actions that the ANDRA (the French national agency of radioactive wastes) has to implement in the framework of the project of high activity-long living (HALL) radioactive wastes (HAVL project) conformably to the requirements of the program defined in the law from June 28, 2006 (law no 2006-739). This law precises the three, complementary, research paths to explore for the management of this type of wastes: separation and transmutation of long-living radioactive elements, reversible disposal in deep geologic underground, and long duration storage. The ANDRA's action concerns the geologic disposal aspect. The following points are presented: the HALL wastes and their containers, the reversible disposal procedure, the HAVL project: financing of researches, storage concepts, development plan of the project (dynamics, information and dialogue approach, input data, main steps, schedule); the nine programs of the HAVL project (laboratory experiments and demonstration tests, surface survey, scientific program, simulation program, surface engineering studies and technological tests, information and communication program, program of environment and facilities surface observation and monitoring, waste packages management, monitoring and transport program, disposal program); the five transverse technical and scientific activities (safety, reversibility, cost, health and occupational safety, impact study). (J.S.)

  6. Synthesis of nuclear waste monazites, ideal actinide hosts for geologic disposal

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McCarthy, G.J.; White, W.B.; Pfoertsch, D.E.

    1978-01-01

    Monazite, an orthophosphate mineral of the lanthanides (Ln) and the actinides (An) U and Th, is a model for an ideal synthetic mineral waste form for geologic disposal of long-lived nuclear waste actinides. Natural monazites are known to have survived many of the conditions that might be inflicted on a nuclear waste repository by geological disruptions. High Th and U monazites with compositions typical of nuclear wastes have been synthesized with a routine calcination-pelletization-crystallization procedure. Charge balance for the Th 4+ → Ln 3+ substitution can be provided by either an equimolar Ca 2+ → Ln 3+ or Si 4+ → P 5+ substitution. For U 4+ → Ln 3+ , only the Ca 2+ → Ln 3+ substitution resulted in a phase-pure monazite. Unit cell parameter data were obtained for each nuclear waste monazite phase

  7. 1. round table - Nuclear wastes and radioactive materials. 2. round table - risks linked with nuclear wastes and materials. 3. round table - the problem of long-term management of medium-high activity and long lived wastes. The process defined by the 1991 law; 1. table ronde - dechets nucleaires et matieres radioactives. 2. table ronde - Les risques des dechets et matieres nucleaires. 3. table ronde - Le probleme de la gestion a long terme des dechets a MA/HAVL. Le processus defini par la loi de 1991

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2005-07-01

    The law from December 30, 1991, precisely defines 3 axes of researches for the management of high level and long-lived radioactive wastes: separation/transmutation, surface storage and underground disposal. A global evaluation report about these researches is to be supplied in 2006 by the French government to the Parliament. A first synthesis of the knowledge gained after 14 years of research has led the national commission of the public debate (CNDP) to organize a national debate about the general options of management of high-level and long-lived radioactive wastes before the 2006 date line. The debate comprises 4 public hearings (September 2005: Bar-le-Duc, Saint-Dizier, Pont-du-Gard, Cherbourg), 12 round-tables (October and November 2005: Paris, Joinville, Caen, Nancy, Marseille), a synthesis meeting (December 2005, Dunkerque) and a closing meeting (January 2006, Lyon). This document is the synthesis of the debates of the first round table of Paris about the problems raised by nuclear wastes in the case of the geologic disposal option. Four families of questions have been tackled: 1 - the exhaustiveness of ANDRA's inventory, the solutions foreseen for the different types of wastes; 2 - the high-medium activity wastes and their processing; 3 - the management of non-reprocessed spent MOX fuels; 4 - the safety and security standards used and their establishment. Four presentations are attached to these proceedings and deal with: the measured and estimated inventory of all radioactive wastes; the inventory and management of radioactive wastes and the place of citizens; the point of view of the nuclear safety authority; conditioning and storage. (J.S.)

  8. China's current status and long-term outlook of nuclear power and radioactive waste disposal management

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, Zhidong

    2015-01-01

    This study identified the current status and long-term outlook of China's nuclear power development and radioactive waste disposal management after the 3.11 FUKUSHIMA accidents. China strengthened the actions for achieving nuclear power safety and cost efficiency as well as safety management of radioactive waste. It is a hard work to expand the capacity to 58 GW, the governmental target in 2020. The long-term development will strongly depend on the progress in safety management of nuclear power and radioactive waste and economic competitiveness. (author)

  9. Long-lived legacy: Managing high-level and transuranic waste at the DOE Nuclear Weapons Complex. Background paper

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1991-05-01

    The document focuses on high-level and transuranic waste at the DOE nuclear weapons complex. Reviews some of the critical areas and aspects of the DOE waste problem in order to provide data and further analysis of important issues. Partial contents, High-Level Waste Management at the DOE Weapons Complex, are as follows: High-Level Waste Management: Present and Planned; Amount and Distribution; Current and Potential Problems; Vitrification; Calcination; Alternative Waste Forms for the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory; Technologies for Pretreatment of High-Level Waste; Waste Minimization; Regulatory Framework; Definition of High-Level Waste; Repository Delays and Contingency Planning; Urgency of High-Level Tank Waste Treatment; Technologies for High-Level Waste Treatment; Rethinking the Waste Form and Package; Waste Form for the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory; Releases to the Atmosphere; Future of the PUREX Plant at Hanford; Waste Minimization; Tritium Production; International Cooperation; Scenarios for Future HLW Production. Partial contents of Chapter 2, Managing Transuranic Waste at the DOE Nuclear Weapons Complex, are as follows: Transuranic Waste at Department of Energy Sites; Amount and Distribution; Waste Management: Present and Planned; Current and Potential Problems; Three Technologies for Treating Retrievably Stored Transuranic Waste; In Situ Vitrification; The Applied Research, Development, Demonstration, Testing, and Evaluation Plan (RDDT ampersand E); Actinide Conversion (Transmutation); Waste Minimization; The Regulatory Framework; Definition of, and Standards for, Disposal of Transuranic Waste; Repository Delays; Alternative Storage and Disposal Strategies; Remediation of Buried Waste; The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant; Waste Minimization; Scenarios for Future Transuranic Waste Production; Conditions of No-Migration Determination

  10. Assessment of studies and researches on warehousing - High-level and intermediate-level-long-lived radioactive wastes - December 2012

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2013-01-01

    This large report first presents the approach adopted for the study and research on the warehousing of high-level and intermediate-level-long-lived radioactive wastes. It outlines how reversible storage and warehousing are complementary, discusses the lessons learned from researches performed by the CEA on long duration warehousing, presents the framework of studies and researches performed since 2006, and presents the scientific and technical content of studies and researches (warehousing need analysis, search for technical options providing complementarity with storage, extension or creation of warehousing installations). The second part addresses high-level and intermediate-level-long-lived radioactive waste parcels, indicates their origins and quantities. The third part proposes an analysis of warehousing capacities: existing capacities, French industrial experience in waste parcel warehousing, foreign experience in waste warehousing. The fourth part addresses reversible storage in deep geological formation: storage safety functions, storage reversibility, storage parcels, storage architecture, chronicle draft. The fifth part proposes an inventory of warehousing needs in terms of additional capacities for the both types of wastes (high-level, and intermediate-level-long-lived), and discusses warehousing functionalities and safety objectives. The sixth and seventh parts propose a detailed overview of design options for warehousing installations, respectively for high-level and for intermediate-level-long-lived waste parcels: main technical issues, feasibility studies of different concepts or architecture shapes, results of previous studies and introduction to studies performed since 2011, possible evolutions of the HA1, HA2 and MAVL concepts. The eighth chapter reports a phenomenological analysis of warehousing and the optimisation of material selection and construction arrangements. The last part discusses the application of researches to the extension of the

  11. Half-lives for selected actinides and long-lived radionuclides

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Holden, N.E.

    1988-01-01

    Long-lived actinide nuclides are of interest for their use in nuclear reactors, for nuclear reactor burnup studies in waste management, and for safeguard applications, e.g., α counting is used to determine the amount of material present. Some long-lived radionuclides are of interest for their use in determining geological ages using various dating methods, and in calculating the cosmic-ray exposure ages of meteorites. Recommended values are presented for both the total half-life and for the spontaneous fission half-life of /sup 232-236,238/U, of /sup 236,238-242,244/Pu, of /sup 241,242m,243/Am, and of /sup 242-248,250/Cm. Problems with the presentation of uncertainties are discussed. The impact of the revised 14 C half-life on the carbon dating technique and various 14 C ages is discussed. The possible primordial occurrence of 92 Nb is now definitely ruled out. Based on examination of the 26 Al half-life, the calculated value for the cosmic-ray exposure age of meteorites remains too high compared to the age calculated using other radionuclide half-life values. 204 Pb, which was once thought to be radioactive, is shown to be stable. 37 refs., 5 tabs

  12. Geochemical behavior of long-lived radioactive wastes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gera, F.

    1975-07-01

    The hazard potential associated with the heavy elements present in high-level radioactive waste decreases greatly in the first few tens of thousands of years of decay; however, further reduction in the hazard potential becomes extremely slow after about 100,000 years. In the time period between 100,000 and 5 million years the hazard potential of high-level waste is reduced by a factor of between 10 and 20. Current evidence seems to indicate that if radioactive waste containment were to fail after a period of 100,000 years or more, some environmental contamination would result; however, the contamination levels would be low. The radiological risk would not be significantly different from that now existing in various localities as a result of the accumulation of natural radioactive elements. With the partial exception of radium, which is concentrated in the fruit of specific perennial plants, the long-lived alpha-emitters are characterized by very low biologic availability in terrestrial ecosystems. The biologic availability may be somewhat higher in aquatic ecosystems due to the significant reconcentration factors in particular organisms. Data concerning the levels of activity in foods grown on radioactive soils seem to confirm the low biologic availability of the natural radioactive elements. Surveys of uranium mill tailings indicate little dispersal of the radioactive elements into the environment; even though untreated tailings piles would appear to be particularly vulnerable to resuspension of dust particles by wind. (U.S.)

  13. Ten questions on nuclear wastes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guillaumont, R.; Bacher, P.

    2004-01-01

    The authors give explanations and answers to ten issues related to nuclear wastes: when a radioactive material becomes a waste, how radioactive wastes are classified and particularly nuclear wastes in France, what are the risks associated with radioactive wastes, whether the present management of radioactive wastes is well controlled in France, which wastes are raising actual problems and what are the solutions, whether amounts and radio-toxicity of wastes can be reduced, whether all long life radionuclides or part of them can be transmuted, whether geologic storage of final wastes is inescapable, whether radioactive material can be warehoused over long durations, and how the information on radioactive waste management is organised

  14. Radiation and Thermal Ageing of Nuclear Waste Glass

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Weber, William J [ORNL

    2014-01-01

    The radioactive decay of fission products and actinides incorporated into nuclear waste glass leads to self-heating and self-radiation effects that may affect the stability, structure and performance of the glass in a closed system. Short-lived fission products cause significant self-heating for the first 600 years. Alpha decay of the actinides leads to self-radiation damage that can be significant after a few hundred years, and over the long time periods of geologic disposal, the accumulation of helium and radiation damage from alpha decay may lead to swelling, microstructural evolution and changes in mechanical properties. Four decades of research on the behavior of nuclear waste glass are reviewed.

  15. Recent Developments in Nuclear Waste Management in Canada

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    King, F.

    2002-01-01

    This paper describes recent developments in the field of nuclear waste management in Canada with a focus on management of nuclear fuel waste. Of particular significance is the April 2001 tabling in the Canadian House of Commons of Bill C-27, An Act respecting the long-term management of nuclear fuel waste. At the time of finalizing this paper (January 15, 2002), Bill C-27 is in Third Reading in the House of Commons and is expected to move to the Senate in February. The Nuclear Fuel Waste Act is expected to come into force later in 2002. This Act requires the three nuclear utilities in Canada owning nuclear fuel waste to form a waste management organization and deposit funds into a segregated fund for nuclear fuel waste long-term management. The waste management organization is then required to perform a study of long-term management approaches for nuclear fuel waste and submit the study to the federal government within three years. The federal government will select an approach for implementation by the waste management organization. The paper discusses the activities that the nuclear fuel waste owners currently have underway to prepare for the formation of the waste management organization. As background, the paper reviews the status of interim storage of nuclear fuel waste in Canada, and describes previous initiatives related to the development of a national strategy for nuclear fuel waste long-term management

  16. Geological repository layout for radioactive high level long lived waste in argillite

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gaussen, JL

    2006-01-01

    In the framework of the 1991 French radioactive waste act, ANDRA has studied the feasibility of a geological repository in the argillite layer of the Bure site for high level long lived waste. This presentation is focussed on the underground facilities which constitute the specific component of this project. The preliminary underground layout which has been elaborated is based on four categories of data: - the waste characteristics and inventory; - the geological properties of the host argillite; - the long term performance objectives of the repository; - the specifications in terms of operation and reversibility. The underground facilities consist of two types of works: the access works (shafts and drifts) and the disposal cells. The function of the access works is to permit the implementation of two concurrent activities: the nuclear operations (transfer and emplacement of the disposal packages into the disposal cells) and the construction of the next disposal cells. The design of the drifts network which matches up to this function is also influenced by two other specifications: the minimization of the drift dimensions in order to limit their influence on the integrity of the geological formation and the necessity of a safe ventilation in case of fire. The resulting layout is a network of 4 parallel drifts (2 of them being dedicated to the operation, the other two being dedicated to the construction activities). The average diameter of these access drifts is 7 meters. The link between the surface and the underground is ensured by 4 shafts. The most important function of the disposal cells is to contribute to the long term performance of the repository. In this regard, the thermal and geotechnical considerations play an important role. The B wastes (intermediate level wastes) are not (or not very) exothermic. Consequently, the design of their disposal cells result mainly from geotechnical considerations. The disposal packages (made of concrete) are piled up in

  17. Regulatory approaches in the United States of America for safe management and disposal of long-lived radionuclides

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Greeves, J.T.; Bell, M.J.; Nelson, R.A.

    1998-01-01

    Regulation of the safe management and disposal of commercial, man-made, long-lived radioactive wastes in the United States is the responsibility of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). In some instances, state regulatory authorities have entered into agreements with the NRC to exercise regulatory authority over management and disposal of low-level radioactive wastes and uranium mill tailings within their borders. The legal and regulatory framework employed to achieve safe management and disposal of long-lived radioactive wastes in the US regulatory system is quite detailed, and in many cases the requirements are considerably prescriptive. The NRC has undertaken an initiative to move in the direction of adopting risk-informed, performance-based and risk-informed, less-prescriptive regulations. The current status and future direction of the legal and regulatory framework for management and disposal of commercial long-lived radioactive waste in the US is described. (author)

  18. Accelerator-based systems for plutonium destruction and nuclear waste transmutation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arthur, E.D.

    1994-01-01

    Accelerator-base systems are described that can eliminate long-lived nuclear materials. The impact of these systems on global issues relating to plutonium minimization and nuclear waste disposal can be significant. An overview of the components that comprise these systems is given, along with discussion of technology development status and needs. A technology development plan is presented with emphasis on first steps that would demonstrate technical performance

  19. Japanese Nuclear Waste Avatars

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wynn Kirby, Peter; Stier, Daniel

    2016-01-01

    Japan's cataclysmic 2011 tsunami has become a vast, unwanted experiment in waste management. The seismic event and resulting Fukushima Daiichi radiation crisis created an awkwardly fortuitous rupture in Japanese nuclear practice that exposed the lax and problematic management of nuclear waste in this country to broader scrutiny, as well as distortions in its very conception. This article looks at the full spectrum of nuclear waste in post-tsunami Japan, from spent fuel rods to contorted reactor containment, and the ways that nuclear waste mirrors or diverges from more quotidian waste practices in Japanese culture. Significantly, the Fukushima Daiichi plant itself and its erstwhile banal surroundings have themselves transmuted into an unwieldy form of nuclear waste. The immense challenges of the Fukushima Daiichi site have stimulated a series of on-the-fly innovations that furnish perspective on more everyday nuclear waste practices in the industry. While some HLW can be reprocessed for limited use in today's reactors, it cannot be ignored that much of Japan's nuclear waste is simply converted into other forms of waste. In a society that has long been fixated on segregating filth, maintaining (imagined) purity, and managing proximity to pollution, the specter of nuclear waste looms over contemporary Japan and its ongoing debates over resources, risk, and Japanese nuclear identity itself

  20. ``Recycling'' Nuclear Power Plant Waste: Technical Difficulties and Proliferation Concerns

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lyman, Edwin

    2007-04-01

    One of the most vexing problems associated with nuclear energy is the inability to find a technically and politically viable solution for the disposal of long-lived radioactive waste. The U.S. plan to develop a geologic repository for spent nuclear fuel at Yucca Mountain in Nevada is in jeopardy, as a result of managerial incompetence, political opposition and regulatory standards that may be impossible to meet. As a result, there is growing interest in technologies that are claimed to have the potential to drastically reduce the amount of waste that would require geologic burial and the length of time that the waste would require containment. A scenario for such a vision was presented in the December 2005 Scientific American. While details differ, these technologies share a common approach: they require chemical processing of spent fuel to extract plutonium and other long-lived actinide elements, which would then be ``recycled'' into fresh fuel for advanced reactors and ``transmuted'' into shorter-lived fission products. Such a scheme is the basis for the ``Global Nuclear Energy Partnership,'' a major program unveiled by the Department of Energy (DOE) in early 2006. This concept is not new, but has been studied for decades. Major obstacles include fundamental safety issues, engineering feasibility and cost. Perhaps the most important consideration in the post-9/11 era is that these technologies involve the separation of plutonium and other nuclear weapon-usable materials from highly radioactive fission products, providing opportunities for terrorists seeking to obtain nuclear weapons. While DOE claims that it will only utilize processes that do not produce ``separated plutonium,'' it has offered no evidence that such technologies would effectively deter theft. It is doubtful that DOE's scheme can be implemented without an unacceptable increase in the risk of nuclear terrorism.

  1. Development of nuclear fuel cycle technologies - bases of long-term provision of fuel and environmental safety of nuclear power

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Solonin, M.I.; Polyakov, A.S.; Zakharkin, B.S.; Smelov, V.S.; Nenarokomov, E.A.; Mukhin, I.V.

    2000-01-01

    To-day nuclear power is one of the options, however, to-morrow it may become the main source of the energy, thus, providing for the stable economic development for the long time to come. The availability of the large-scale nuclear power in the foreseeable future is governed by not only the safe operation of nuclear power plants (NPP) but also by the environmentally safe management of spent nuclear fuel, radioactive waste conditioning and long-term storage. More emphasis is to be placed to the closing of the fuel cycle in view of substantial quantities of spent nuclear fuel arisings. The once-through fuel cycle that is cost effective at the moment cannot be considered to be environmentally safe even for the middle term since the substantial build-up of spent nuclear fuel containing thousands of tons Pu will require the resolution of the safe management problem in the nearest future and is absolutely unjustified in terms of moral ethics as a transfer of the responsibility to future generations. The minimization of radioactive waste arisings and its radioactivity is only feasible with the closed fuel cycle put into practice and some actinides and long-lived fission radionuclides burnt out. The key issues in providing the environmentally safe fuel cycle are efficient processes of producing fuel for NPP, radionuclide after-burning included, a long-term spent nuclear fuel storage and reprocessing as well as radioactive waste management. The paper deals with the problems inherent in producing fuel for NPP with a view for the closed fuel cycle. Also discussed are options of the fuel cycle, its effectiveness and environmental safety with improvements in technologies of spent nuclear fuel reprocessing and long-lived radionuclide partitioning. (authors)

  2. Development of nuclear fuel cycle technologies - bases of long-term provision of fuel and environmental safety of nuclear power

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Solonin, M I; Polyakov, A S; Zakharkin, B S; Smelov, V S; Nenarokomov, E A; Mukhin, I V [SSC, RF, A.A. Bochvar ALL-Russia Research Institute of Inorganic Materials, Moscow (Russian Federation)

    2000-07-01

    To-day nuclear power is one of the options, however, to-morrow it may become the main source of the energy, thus, providing for the stable economic development for the long time to come. The availability of the large-scale nuclear power in the foreseeable future is governed by not only the safe operation of nuclear power plants (NPP) but also by the environmentally safe management of spent nuclear fuel, radioactive waste conditioning and long-term storage. More emphasis is to be placed to the closing of the fuel cycle in view of substantial quantities of spent nuclear fuel arisings. The once-through fuel cycle that is cost effective at the moment cannot be considered to be environmentally safe even for the middle term since the substantial build-up of spent nuclear fuel containing thousands of tons Pu will require the resolution of the safe management problem in the nearest future and is absolutely unjustified in terms of moral ethics as a transfer of the responsibility to future generations. The minimization of radioactive waste arisings and its radioactivity is only feasible with the closed fuel cycle put into practice and some actinides and long-lived fission radionuclides burnt out. The key issues in providing the environmentally safe fuel cycle are efficient processes of producing fuel for NPP, radionuclide after-burning included, a long-term spent nuclear fuel storage and reprocessing as well as radioactive waste management. The paper deals with the problems inherent in producing fuel for NPP with a view for the closed fuel cycle. Also discussed are options of the fuel cycle, its effectiveness and environmental safety with improvements in technologies of spent nuclear fuel reprocessing and long-lived radionuclide partitioning. (authors)

  3. Nuclear Waste and Ethics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Damveld, Herman

    2003-01-01

    In the past years in almost all conferences on storage of nuclear waste, ethics has been considered as an important theme. But what is ethics? We will first give a sketch of this branch of philosophy. We will then give a short explanation of the three principal ethical theories. In the discussion about storage of nuclear waste, the ethical theory of utilitarianism is often implicitly invoked. In this system future generations weigh less heavily than the present generation, so that people of the future are not considered as much as those now living. We reject this form of reasoning. The discussion about nuclear waste is also sometimes pursued from ethical points of departure such as equality and justice. But many loose ends remain in these arguments, which gives rise to the question of whether the production and storage of nuclear waste is responsible

  4. Nuclear Waste and Ethics

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Damveld, Herman [Groningen (Netherlands)

    2003-10-01

    In the past years in almost all conferences on storage of nuclear waste, ethics has been considered as an important theme. But what is ethics? We will first give a sketch of this branch of philosophy. We will then give a short explanation of the three principal ethical theories. In the discussion about storage of nuclear waste, the ethical theory of utilitarianism is often implicitly invoked. In this system future generations weigh less heavily than the present generation, so that people of the future are not considered as much as those now living. We reject this form of reasoning. The discussion about nuclear waste is also sometimes pursued from ethical points of departure such as equality and justice. But many loose ends remain in these arguments, which gives rise to the question of whether the production and storage of nuclear waste is responsible.

  5. Nuclear waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1983-01-01

    The Koeberg nuclear power station, planned to come on stream in 1984, is expected to save South Africa some six million t/annum of coal, and to contribute some 10 per cent of the country's electricity requirements. The use of nuclear energy will provide for growing national energy needs, and reduce high coal transport costs for power generation at the coast. In the long term, however, it gives rise to the controversial question of nuclear waste storage. The Atomic Energy Corporation of South Africa Ltd (AEC) recently announced the purchase of a site in Namaqualand (NW Cape) for the storage of low-level radioactive waste. The Nuclear Development Corporation of South Africa (Pty) Ltd, (NUCOR) will develop and operate the site. The South African Mining and Engineering Journal interviewed Dr P.D. Toens, manager of the Geology Department and Mr P.E. Moore, project engineer, on the subject of nuclear waste, the reasons behind Nucor's choice of site and the storage method

  6. Accelerator-driven sub-critical target concept for transmutation of nuclear wastes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Van Tuyle, G.J.; Todosow, M.; Aronson, A.L.; Takahashi, H.; Geiger, M.J.

    1991-01-01

    A means of transmuting key long-lived nuclear wastes, primarily the minor actinides (Np, Am, Cm) and iodine, using a hybrid proton accelerator and sub-critical lattice, is proposed. By partitioning the components of the light water reactor (LWR) spent fuel and by transmuting key elements, such as the plutonium, the minor actinides, and a few of the long-lived fission products, some of the most significant challenges in building a waste repository can be substantially reduced. The proposed machine, based on the described PHOENIX Concept, would transmute the minor actinides and the iodine produced by 75 LWRs, and would generate usable electricity (beyond that required to run the large accelerator) of 850 MW e . 19 refs., 20 figs

  7. CEA - Nuclear Energy Division. Report on Sustainable Radioactive Waste Management

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2012-12-01

    The Sustainable Radioactive Waste Management Act of June 28, 2006, specified clear guidelines for spent nuclear fuel management. It states two complementary principles: - The policy of treating and recycling spent nuclear fuel is valid for reducing the quantity and toxicity of suitably packaged ultimate radioactive waste-forms. - The reference process for high-activity and long-lived ultimate waste is deep geological disposal. The report prepared by the CEA in response to these requirements was completed after several years of work in cooperation with the other French actors in this field (EDF, AREVA) and with contribution of the CNRS and Andra. It addresses the following topics in several volumes: n guidelines for research on 4. generation systems, and a description of the various systems examined; - the results of research coordinated by the CEA on partitioning and transmutation of long-lived radioactive elements; - choices proposed for the Astrid integrated technology demonstrator - a sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR) - and a reasonable timetable for its construction; - a review of research conducted around the world on 4. generation systems based on fast neutron reactors (FNRs). The principal results and findings compiled by the CEA from these studies are summarized in this document

  8. The Role of the Government and the Public in the Planning of Long Term Management for Nuclear Fuel Wastes in Canada

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Diah Hidayanti; Yudi Pramono

    2007-01-01

    The generation of electricity from nuclear power has the consequence of producing some wastes that are radioactive, especially in the form of spent fuels which are classified as high level nuclear wastes. Nuclear fuel wastes must be managed properly in order to protect public and environment from its big potential hazard. One type of long term management for nuclear fuel wastes is the final disposal in a permanent storage. Because of the importance of safety aspects for final disposal, it needs the involvement of government and the public to determine the reliability and the acceptance of final disposal concept. Those involvements can be implemented in some aspects such as regulation aspect, review and assessment process, and the public feedback. The evaluation on the plan of long term management for nuclear fuel wastes in Canada provides Indonesia an overview of its long term management plans for all radioactive materials, including nuclear fuel wastes generated from the nuclear power plant which is planned to be in service by 2016. (author)

  9. Thermal and physicochemical properties important for the long term behavior of nuclear waste glasses

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vernaz, E.; Matzke, H.J.

    1992-01-01

    High level nuclear waste from reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel has to be solidified in a stable matrix for safe long-time storage. Vitrification in borosilicate glasses is the technique accepted worldwide. A number of different glasses was developed in different national programs. The criteria and the reasons for selecting the final compositions are briefly described. Emphasis is placed on the French product R7T7 and on thermal and physicochemical properties though glasses developed in other national projects (e.g. the German product GP 98/12 etc.) are also treated. The basic physical and mechanical properties and the chemical durability of the glass in contact with water or other aqueous solutions are described. The basic mechanisms of aqueous corrosion are discussed and the evolving modelling of the leaching process is dealt with, as well as effects of container material, backfill, etc. The thermal behavior has also been studied and extensive data exist on diffusion of glass constituents (Na) and of interesting elements of the waste such as the alkalis Rb and Cs or the actinides U and Pu, as well as on crystallization processes in the glass during storage at elevated temperatures. Emphasis is placed on the radiation stability of the glasses, based on extensive studies using short-lived actinides (e.g. Cm-244) or ion-implantation to produce the damage expected during long storage at an accelerated rate. The radiation stability is shown to be very good, if realistic damage conditions are used. The knowledge accumulated in the past years is used to evaluate and predict the long-term evolution of the glass under storage conditions

  10. Transmutation of nuclear waste. Status report RAS programme 1993: Recycling and transmutation of actinides and fission products

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Abrahams, K; Bultman, J H; Cordfunke, E H.P.; Gruppelaar, H; Janssen, A J; Franken, W M.P.; Klippel, K T; Kloosterman, J L; Konings, R J.M.; Smit, J

    1994-11-01

    The term ``nuclear transmutation`` means a conversion of long-lived radioactive nuclides into short-lived or stable nuclides and ``recycling`` means re-use of fissile material to generate energy in power reactors. With these two processes a reduction of the radiotoxicity and of its duration may be achieved, thus reducing the potential hazard to future generations. Firstly, the report gives a survey of the present situation regarding nuclear waste: its components, how the waste is produced in current LWR and possible options for interim and final storage. Then the objective of the RAS programme, the working methods and the state of the art of the research are considered. Two chapters deal with preliminary results of national and international research. A rather tentative prediction for the future is formulated. Some conclusions are drawn: It seems to be in the best interests of the Netherlands to continue the established line of reprocessing nuclear waste, should new reactors be introduced. It may be advisable to make international agreements so that in the future fission products will contain as few traces of transuranic actinides and long-lived components as possible. Consequently, nuclear waste would become cleaner in terms of long-lived components. For the transmutation of products separated in foreign countries, the Netherlands could pursue an active policy, perform research and also consider the use of MOX fuel in future Dutch reactors. Further contributions towards the solution of these problems can only be made by the Netherlands on an international level. As such, the research and study performed within the framework of the RAS-programme represents a useful international contribution. Finally, the choice of a new generation of nuclear reactors should be made not based only on the safety aspects, but also on the extent of waste production and on the transmutation possibilities (application of MOX, etc.). (orig./HP).

  11. Development of nuclear transmutation technology - A study on accelerator-driven transmutation of long-lived radionuclide

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chung, Chang Hyun; Chung, Kie Hyung; Hong, Sang Hee; Hwang, Il Soon; Park, Byung Gi; Yang, Hyung Lyeol; Kim, Duk Kyu; Huh, Chang Wook [Seoul National University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    1996-07-01

    The objective of this study is to help establish the long-range nuclear waste disposal strategy through the investigations and comparisons of various= concepts of the accelerator-driven nuclear waste transmutation reactors, which have been suggested to replace the geological waste disposal due to the technical uncertainties in the long-time scale. Nuclear data, categorized in high -and low-energy neutron cross-sections, were investigated and the structures, principles, and recent progresses of proton linac were reviews, Also the accelerator power for transmutation and the economics were referred, The comparison of the transmutation concepts concentrated on two: Japanese OMEGA program of alloy fuelled system, Minor actinide molten salt system, and Eutectic alloy system and American ATW program of aqueous system and molten salt system. From the comparative study, a state-of-art of the technology has been identified as a concept employing proton-accelerate of 800 {approx} 1600 MeV with 100 mA capacity combined with liquid lead target, molten salt blanket and on-line chemical separation using centrifuge and electrowinning technology. 34 refs., 25 tabs., 64 figs. (author)

  12. Radioactive waste and the back part of fuel cycle of nuclear installations in Slovakia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Koprda, V.

    2004-01-01

    This article is devoted to radioactive waste (RAW) management, an integrated system starting with collection and sorting of RAW through its storage, treatment, conditioning, handling and transport up to its disposal. Some notes will touch also the near surface depository of low level and intermediate level radioactive waste in Mochovce, and the long-term storage of waste improper for such type of disposal, and also some words will be addressed to the development and research of a deep geological depository for disposal spent fuel from nuclear power plant and long-lived radioactive waste. (author)

  13. Some recent contributions of basic nuclear science to nuclear waste transmutation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schapira, J.P.

    2001-01-01

    Nuclear waste transmutation aims at alleviating some long-term risks associated with actinides and with some long-lived fission products. Proposals of using accelerator driven system (ADS) to efficiently burn actinides in uranium free fuels have revitalized some basic researches in the field of nuclear and reactor physics. This is the case for high intensity accelerator in the ADS context and for the neutron source which relies to a large extent on basic nuclear physics related to spallation. There is also an experimental program called MUSE at Cadarache to study the sub-critical reactor physics with regard to its neutronics. A second area where basic research is involved is the measurement of new or more reliable neutron cross sections specific to transmutation and also to the thorium fuel cycle considered as a long-term option for ''clean'' energy production with reduced actinide production. This second area will possibly be covered by a new facility called n-TOF developed at CERN. (author)

  14. Separation of actinides and long-lived fission products from high-level radioactive wastes (a review)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kolarik, Z.

    1991-11-01

    The management of high-level radioactive wastes is facilitated, if long-lived and radiotoxic actinides and fission products are separated before the final disposal. Especially important is the separation of americium, curium, plutonium, neptunium, strontium, cesium and technetium. The separated nuclides can be deposited separately from the bulk of the high-level waste, but their transmutation to short-lived nuclides is a muchmore favourable option. This report reviews the chemistry of the separation of actinides and fission products from radioactive wastes. The composition, nature and conditioning of the wastes are described. The main attention is paid to the solvent extraction chemistry of the elements and to the application of solvent extraction in unit operations of potential partitioning processes. Also reviewed is the behaviour of the elements in the ion exchange chromatography, precipitation, electrolysis from aqueous solutions and melts, and the distribution between molten salts and metals. Flowsheets of selected partitioning processes are shown and general aspects of the waste partitioning are shortly discussed. (orig.) [de

  15. Nuclear Waste Disposal and Strategies for Predicting Long-Term Performance of Material

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wicks, G.G.

    2001-01-01

    Ceramics have been an important part of the nuclear community for many years. On December 2, 1942, an historic event occurred under the West Stands of Stagg Field, at the University of Chicago. Man initiated his first self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction and controlled it. The impact of this event on civilization is considered by many as monumental and compared by some to other significant events in history, such as the invention of the steam engine and the manufacturing of the first automobile. Making this event possible and the successful operation of this first man-made nuclear reactor, was the use of forty tons of UO2. The use of natural or enriched UO2 is still used today as a nuclear fuel in many nuclear power plants operating world-wide. Other ceramic materials, such as 238Pu, are used for other important purposes, such as ceramic fuels for space exploration to provide electrical power to operate instruments on board spacecrafts. Radioisotopic Thermoelectric Generators (RTGs) are used to supply electrical power and consist of a nuclear heat source and converter to transform heat energy from radioactive decay into electrical power, thus providing reliable and relatively uniform power over the very long lifetime of a mission. These sources have been used in the Galileo spacecraft orbiting Jupiter and for scientific investigations of Saturn with the Cassini spacecraft. Still another very important series of applications using the unique properties of ceramics in the nuclear field, are as immobilization matrices for management of some of the most hazardous wastes known to man. For example, in long-term management of radioactive and hazardous wastes, glass matrices are currently in production immobilizing high-level radioactive materials, and cementious forms have also been produced to incorporate low level wastes. Also, as part of nuclear disarmament activities, assemblages of crystalline phases are being developed for immobilizing weapons grade plutonium, to

  16. Proceedings of the public debate on the general options of management of high and intermediate activity and long-lived radioactive wastes; Compte-rendu du debat public sur les options generales en matiere de gestion des dechets radioactifs de haute activite et de moyenne activite a vie longue

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2006-01-15

    The law from December 30, 1991, precisely defines 3 axes of researches for the management of high level and long-lived radioactive wastes: separation/transmutation, surface storage and underground disposal. A global evaluation report about these researches is to be supplied in 2006 by the French government to the Parliament. A first synthesis of the knowledge gained after 14 years of research has led the national commission of the public debate (CNDP) to organize a national debate about the general options of management of high-level and long-lived radioactive wastes before the 2006 date line. The debate comprised 4 public hearings (September 2005: Bar-le-Duc, Saint-Dizier, Pont-du-Gard, Cherbourg), 12 round-tables (October and November 2005: Paris, Joinville, Caen, Nancy, Marseille), a synthesis meeting (December 2005, Dunkerque) and a closing meeting (January 2006, Lyon). This document is a summary of the main questions tackled during this debate from its preparation to its closing meeting and dealing with: the acceptation of the debate, the progress of the debate, the socio-technical problem of gathering the different points to be debated with respect to the different areas in concern, the general questions about the overall nuclear wastes and materials (radioactivity, health, radioprotection, management, reprocessing, control, actors organization, knowledge sharing, perenniality of the financing), the specific questions about long-lived wastes (inventory, separation-transmutation feasibility, nuclear energy and energy policy, management solutions, storage and geologic disposal feasibility, impact of debates on the 2006 law, long-lived waste territories), the conclusions for the 2006 law: mastering the overall nuclear wastes and materials and step-by-step building up of a solution for long-lived wastes (difficulties, lessons learnt from foreign experience, first draft of the 2006 law). Some opinions expressed by some participants about these proposals conclude

  17. Parameter values for the long-term nuclear waste management food chain model LIMCAL

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zach, Reto.

    1982-09-01

    Eighteen parameters of LIMCAL, a comprehensive food chain model for predicting ICRP 26 50-year committed effective dose equivalents to man due to long-term nuclear waste management are reviewed. The parameters are: soil bulk density, plowlayer depth, soil surface layer depth, resusupension factor, atmospheric dust load, deposition velocity, plant interception fraction, plant environmental half-time, translocation factor, time of above-ground exposure, plant yield, holdup time, animals' feed consumption rate, animals' water consumption rate, man's water consumption rate, food type calorie conversion factors, man's total caloric intake rate and food type calorie fractions. LIMCAL has both traditional and unique parameters. The former occur in most of the currently used assessment models for nuclear installations, whereas the latter do not. For each of the parameters of LIMCAL, a suitable generic value for long-term nuclear waste management was determined. Thus, the general literature and the values currently used or recommended by various agencies were reviewed

  18. Nuclear Waste Education Project

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1989-01-01

    In summary, both the Atlanta and Albuquerque pilot seminars achieved the Nuclear Waste Education Project's goal of informing citizens on both the substance and the process of nuclear waste policy so that they can better participate in future nuclear waste decisions. Nuclear waste issues are controversial, and the seminars exposed the nature of the controversy, and utilized the policy debates to create lively and provocative sessions. The format and content of any citizen education curriculum must be made to fit the particular goal that has been chosen. If the Department of Energy and the LWVEF decide to continue to foster an informed dialogue among presenters and participants, the principles of controversial issues education would serve this goal well. If, however, the Department of Energy and/or the LWVEF decide to go beyond imparting information and promoting a lively discussion of the issues, towards some kind of consensus-building process, it would be appropriate to integrate more interactive sessions into the format. As one evaluator wrote, ''In-depth participation in finding solutions or establishing policy -- small group discussion'' would have been preferable to the plenary sessions that mostly were in the form of lectures and expert panel discussion. The evaluator continued by saying, ''Since these [small group discussions] would require more time commitment, they might be part of follow-up workshops focused on particular topics.''

  19. Nuclear energy from radioactive waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schwarzenberg, M.

    1998-01-01

    The global energy demand is increasing. Sound forecasts indicate that by the year 2020 almost eight thousand million people will be living on our planet, and generating their demand for energy will require conversion of about 20 thousand million tonnes of coal equivalents a year. Against this background scenario, a new concept for energy generation elaborated by nuclear scientists at CERN attracts particular interest. The concept describing a new nuclear energy source and technology intends to meet the following principal requirements: create a new energy source that can be exploited in compliance with extremely stringent safety requirements; reduce the amount of long-lived radioactive waste; substantially reduce the size of required radwaste repositories; use easily available natural fuels that will not need isotopic separation; prevent the risk of proliferation of radioactive materials; process and reduce unwanted actinides as are generated by the operation of current breeder reactors; achieve high efficiency both in terms of technology and economics. (orig./CB) [de

  20. Environmental and safety problems of waste management in nuclear engineering

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schwibach, J.; Jacobi, W.

    1976-01-01

    The environmental and safety problems which waste management in nuclear technology poses are discussed under the aspects of the disposal of radioactive waste by nuclear facilities and the safety of radioactive waste disposal. The release and global distribution of long-lived radionuclides such as tritium, Kr-85, C-14, I-129, and Pu-239 as well as the radiation exposure of the world population resulting thereof are investigated, the authors starting from a specific production rate of the nuclides released from nuclear facilities. Definitions of the terms 'dose commitment' and 'collective dose commitment' are given. Furthermore, local radiation exposure in reprocessing plants is investigated and compared with regional and global radiation exposure. A recommendation is made to take measures which would reduce the nuclides tritium, Kr-85, and C-14 in order to achieve considerably smaller collective doses. (HR/LN) [de

  1. Use of natural analogues to support radionuclide transport models for deep geological repositories for long lived radioactive wastes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1999-10-01

    Plans to dispose high level and long lived radioactive wastes in deep geological repositories have raised a number of unique problems, mainly due to the very long time-scales which have to be considered. An important way to help to evaluate performance and provide confidence in the assessment of safety in the long term is to carry out natural analogue studies. Natural analogues can be regarded as long term natural experiments the results or outcome of which can be observed, but which, by definition, are uncontrolled by humans. Studies of natural analogues have been carried out for more than two decades, although the application of information from them is only relatively recently becoming scientifically well ordered. This report is part of a the IAEA's programme on radioactive waste management dealing with disposal system technology for high level and long lived radioactive waste. It presents the current status of natural analogue information in evaluating models for radionuclide transport by groundwater. In particular, emphasis is given to the most useful aspects of quantitative applications for model development and testing (geochemistry and coupled transport models). The report provides an overview of various natural analogues as reference for those planning to develop a research programme in this field. Recommendations are given on the use of natural analogues to engender confidence in the safety of disposal systems. This report is a follow up of Technical Reports Series No. 304 on Natural Analogues in Performance Assessments for the Disposal of Long Lived Radioactive Waste (1989)

  2. The national plan of radioactive materials and wastes management. ASN's notice about the choice of the sites to be investigated in view of the setting up of a disposal facility for low activity/long living wastes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2009-07-01

    This short presentation, given by the national safety authority (ASN) at the meeting of July 1, 2009 of the high committee for the nuclear safety transparency and information (HCTISN), presents, first, the second French national plan of radioactive materials and wastes management (PNGMDR) with its main priorities, and then, the choice of the sites to survey in view of the setting up of a disposal facility for low level/long living wastes. The ASN expresses its opinion about the criteria retained by the ANDRA (the national agency of radioactive waste management) to select the most suitable sites. (J.S.)

  3. Attitudes of the public about nuclear wastes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rankin, W.L.; Nealey, S.M.

    1978-01-01

    The disposal of nuclear wastes has become an important public issue in the past few years. In 1960, only a very small percentage of the American public questioned the safety of waste disposal methods, and no one opposed nuclear power for waste disposal reasons. By 1974, however, a slight majority of the public believed that the disposal of nuclear wastes was a serious problem associated with nuclear power, and from 1975 on, a small percentage of the public has opposed nuclear power for waste disposal reasons. More individuals believe that the technology is not available for acceptable waste management compared to the number of individuals who believe that the technology does exist. However, a majority of the public believe that modern technology can solve the waste disposal problem. Finally, nuclear technologists evaluate waste disposal problems differently from other groups. For instance, nuclear technologists believe that short-term safety is more important than long-term safety regarding waste disposal, while other groups, especially environmentalists, believe that long-term safety is more important than short-term safety. Nuclear technologists are willing to accept a higher level of waste management-related risk than other groups and evaluate waste disposal problems as being less severe than other societal problems

  4. The problematic of nuclear wastes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rozon, D.

    2004-01-01

    Within the frame of a project of modification of radioactive waste storage installations, and of refurbishing the Gentilly-2 nuclear plant (Quebec, Canada), the author first gives an overview and comments assessments of the volume and nature of nuclear wastes produced by Canadian nuclear power plants. He presents the Canadian program of nuclear waste management (history, Seaborn assessment Commission, mission of the SGDN-NWMO). He discusses the relationship between risk and dose, the risk duration, and the case of non radioactive wastes. He discusses energy challenges in terms of CO 2 emissions and with respect to climate change, proposes an alternative scenario on a long term, compares nuclear energy and wind energy, and discusses the nuclear technology evolution

  5. Safety analysis of the proposed Canadian geologic nuclear waste repository

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Prowse, D.R.

    1977-01-01

    The Canadian program for development and qualification of a geologic repository for emplacement of high-level and long-lived, alpha-emitting waste from irradiated nuclear fuel has been inititiated and is in its initial development stage. Fieldwork programs to locate candidate sites with suitable geological characteristics have begun. Laboratory studies and development of models for use in safety analysis of the emplaced nuclear waste have been initiated. The immediate objective is to complete a simplified safety analysis of a model geologic repository by mid-1978. This analysis will be progressively updated and will form part of an environmental Assessment Report of a Model Fuel Center which will be issued in mid-1979. The long-term objectives are to develop advanced safety assessment models of a geologic repository which will be available by 1980

  6. Long lived quantum memory with nuclear atomic spins

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sinatra, A.; Reinaudi, G.; Dantan, A.; Giacobino, E.; Pinard, M.

    2005-01-01

    We propose store non-classical states of light into the macroscopic collective nuclear spin (10 18 atoms) of a 3 He vapor, using metastability exchange collisions. We show that these collisions currently used to transfer orientation from the metastable state 2 3 S 1 to the ground state state of 3 He, may conserve quantum correlations and give a possible experimental scheme to perfectly map a squeezed vacuum field state onto a nuclear spin state, which should allow for extremely long storage times (hours). In addition to the apparent interest for quantum information, the scheme offers the intriguing possibility to create a long-lived non classical state for spins. During a metastability exchange collision an atom in the ground state state and an atom in the metastable triplet state 2 3 S exchange their electronic spin variables. The ground state atom is then brought into the metastable state and vice-versa. A laser transition is accessible from the metastable state so that the metastable atoms are coupled with light. This, together with metastability exchange collisions, provides an effective coupling between ground state atoms and light. In our scheme, a coherent field and a squeezed vacuum field excite a Raman transition between Zeeman sublevels of the metastable state, after the system is prepared in the fully polarized state by preliminary optical pumping. According to the intensity of the coherent field, which acts as a control parameter, the squeezing of the field can be selectively transferred either to metastable or to ground state atoms. Once it is encoded in the purely nuclear spin of the ground state of 3 He, which is 20 eV apart from the nearest excited state and interacts very little with the environment, the quantum state can survive for times as long as several hours. By lighting up only the coherent field in the same configuration as for the 'writing' phase, the nuclear spin memory can be 'read' after a long delay, the squeezing being transferred

  7. Research and Development of Technologies for Partitioning and Transmutation of Long-lived Nuclides in Japan - Status and Evaluation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sanae Aoki

    2003-01-01

    Japanese basic policy regarding disposal of high-level radioactive waste (HLW) is to solidify it into stabilized form, to store it for 30-50 years to be cooled, and to dispose of it deep to the underground (geological disposal). In Japan, reference to P and T technology for long-lived and other nuclides first appeared in the Long-term Programme for Nuclear Research, Development and Utilisation (or 'long-term nuclear programme') back in 1972. That programme noted the need for research and development in order to ensure effective processing of radioactive waste. The long-term nuclear programme issued in 1987 stated that P and T technology was very important from the viewpoint of recycling HLW and enhancing disposal efficiency. It also stated that systematic R and D would be carried out jointly by JAERI, the Power Reactor and Nuclear Fuel Development Corp. (PNC, now JNC) and others. The long-term nuclear programme issued in 1994 stated that each research institute would carry out basic studies on P and T technologies and evaluate each technology at some time in the mid- 1990's to determine how to proceed thereafter. Based on the evaluation schedule stated in this program, the AEC's Advisory Committee on Nuclear Fuel Cycle Back-end Policy investigated and considered matters concerning P and T technology for long-lived and other nuclides. In March 2000, the Committee issued a report entitled 'Research and Development of Technologies for Partitioning and Transmutation of Long-lived Nuclide Status and Evaluation Report'. A brief summary of this report is presented

  8. Nuclear fuel waste policy in Canada

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brown, P.A.; Letourneau, C.

    1999-01-01

    The 1996 Policy Framework for Radioactive Waste established the approach in Canada for dealing with all radioactive waste, and defined the respective roles of Government and waste producers and owners. The Policy Framework sets the stage for the development of institutional and financial arrangements to implement long-term waste management solutions in a safe, environmentally sound, comprehensive, cost-effective and integrated manner. For nuclear fuel waste, a 10-year environmental review of the concept to bury nuclear fuel waste bundles at a depth of 500 m to 1000 m in stable rock of the Canadian Shield was completed in March 1998. The Review Panel found that while the concept was technically safe, it did not have the required level of public acceptability to be adopted at this time as Canada's approach for managing its nuclear fuel waste. The Panel recommended that a Waste Management Organization be established at arm's length from the nuclear industry, entirely funded by the waste producers and owners, and that it be subject to oversight by the Government. In its December 1998 Response to the Review Panel, the Government of Canada provided policy direction for the next steps towards developing Canada's approach for the long-term management of nuclear fuel waste. The Government chose to maintain the responsibility for long-term management of nuclear fuel waste close with the producers and owners of the waste. This is consistent with its 1996 Policy Framework for Radioactive Waste. This approach is also consistent with experience in many countries. In addition, the federal government identified the need for credible federal oversight. Cabinet directed the Minister of NRCan to consult with stakeholders, including the public, and return to ministers within 12 months with recommendations on means to implement federal oversight. (author)

  9. Safe, secure, and clean disposal of final nuclear wastes using 'PyroGreen' strategies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jung, HyoSook; Choi, Sungyeol; Hwang, Il Soon

    2011-01-01

    Spent nuclear fuels (SNFs) present global challenges that must be overcome to pave way for safe, secure, peaceful and clean nuclear energy. As one of innovative solutions, we have proposed an innovative partitioning, transmutation, and disposal approach named as 'PyroGreen' that is designed to eliminate the need for high-level waste repositories. A flowsheet of pyrochemical partitioning process with technically achievable values of decontamination factors on long-living radionuclides has been established to enable all the final wastes to be disposed of as low and intermediate level wastes. The long-term performance of a geological repository was assessed by SAFE-ROCK code for the final wastes from the PyroGreen processing of entire 26,000 MTHM of SNFs arising from lifetime operation of 24 pressurized water reactors. The assessment results agree well with an earlier study in the fact that most harmful radionuclides dominating groundwater migration risk are shown to be long-living fission products including C-14, Cl-36, Se-79, I-129, and Cs-135, whereas most actinides including U, Pu, Np, Am, and Cm are shown to remain near the repository. It is shown that the final wastes can meet the radiological dose limit of current Korean regulation on the low and intermediate level waste repository. Long-living actinide concentration in wastes is comparable with those in wastes in Waste Isolation Pilot Plant that has proved adequately low risk of human intrusion. Overall decontamination factors required for PyroGreen are finally determined as 20,000 for uranium and all transuranic elements whereas much lower values in the range of 10-50 are required for important fission products including Se, Tc, I, Sr, and Cs in order to eliminate the need for any high-level waste repository. It has been shown that experimentally demonstrated recovery rate data for key process steps positively support the feasibility of PyroGreen. SAFE-ROCK code was used to evaluate the long-term performance

  10. Brief overview of the long-lived radionuclide separation processes developed in France in connection with the SPIN program

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Madic, C.; Bourges, J.; Dozol, J.F.

    1995-01-01

    To reduce the long-term potential hazards associated with the management of nuclear wastes generated by nuclear fuel reprocessing, one alternative is the transmutation of long-lived radionuclides into short-lived radionuclides by nuclear means (P ampersand T strategy). In this context, according to the law passed by the French Parliament on 30 December 1991, the CEA launched the SPIN program for the design of long-lived radionuclide separation and nuclear incineration processes. The research in progress to define separation processes focused mainly on the minor actinides (neptunium, americium and curium) and some fission products, like cesium and technetium. To separate these long-lived radionuclides, two strategies were developed. The first involves research on new operating conditions for improving the PUREX fuel reprocessing technology. This approach concerns the elements neptunium and technetium (iodine and zirconium can also be considered). The second strategy involves the design of new processes; DIAMEX for the co-extraction of minor actinides from the high-level liquid waste leaving the PUREX process, An(III)/Ln(III) separation using tripyridyltriazine derivatives or picolinamide extracting agents; SESAME for the selective separation of americium after its oxidation to Am(IV) or Am(VI) in the presence of a heteropolytungstate ligand, and Cs extraction using a new class of extracting agents, calixarenes, which exhibit exceptional Cs separation properties, especially in the presence of sodium ion. This lecture focuses on the latest achievements in these research areas

  11. Brief overview of the long-lived radionuclide separation processes developed in france in connection with the spin program

    Science.gov (United States)

    Madic, Charles; Bourges, Jacques; Dozol, Jean-François

    1995-09-01

    To reduce the long-term potential hazards associated with the management of nuclear wastes generated by nuclear fuel reprocessing, one alternative is the transmutation of long-lived radionuclides into short-lived radionuclides by nuclear means (P & T strategy). In this context, according to the law passed by the French Parliament on 30 December 1991, the CEA launched the SPIN program for the design of long-lived radionuclide separation and nuclear incineration processes. The research in progress to define separation processes focused mainly on the minor actinides (neptunium, americium and curium) and some fission products, like cesium and technetium. To separate these long-lived radionuclides, two strategies were developed. The first involves research on new operating conditions for improving the PUREX fuel reprocessing technology. This approach concerns the elements neptunium and technetium (iodine and zirconium can also be considered). The second strategy involves the design of new processes; DIAMEX for the co-extraction of minor actinides from the high-level liquid waste leaving the PUREX process, An(III)/Ln(III) separation using tripyridyltriazine derivatives or picolinamide extracting agents; SESAME for the selective separation of americium after its oxidation to Am(IV) or Am(VI) in the presence of a heteropolytungstate ligand, and Cs extraction using a new class of extracting agents, calixarenes, which exhibit exceptional Cs separation properties, especially in the presence of sodium ion. This lecture focuses on the latest achievements in these research areas.

  12. Brief overview of the long-lived radionuclide separation processes developed in France in connection with the SPIN program

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Madic, C.; Bourges, J. [DRDD, Fontenay-aux-Roses (France); Dozol, J.F. [DESD, Cadarache (France)

    1995-10-01

    To reduce the long-term potential hazards associated with the management of nuclear wastes generated by nuclear fuel reprocessing, one alternative is the transmutation of long-lived radionuclides into short-lived radionuclides by nuclear means (P & T strategy). In this context, according to the law passed by the French Parliament on 30 December 1991, the CEA launched the SPIN program for the design of long-lived radionuclide separation and nuclear incineration processes. The research in progress to define separation processes focused mainly on the minor actinides (neptunium, americium and curium) and some fission products, like cesium and technetium. To separate these long-lived radionuclides, two strategies were developed. The first involves research on new operating conditions for improving the PUREX fuel reprocessing technology. This approach concerns the elements neptunium and technetium (iodine and zirconium can also be considered). The second strategy involves the design of new processes; DIAMEX for the co-extraction of minor actinides from the high-level liquid waste leaving the PUREX process, An(III)/Ln(III) separation using tripyridyltriazine derivatives or picolinamide extracting agents; SESAME for the selective separation of americium after its oxidation to Am(IV) or Am(VI) in the presence of a heteropolytungstate ligand, and Cs extraction using a new class of extracting agents, calixarenes, which exhibit exceptional Cs separation properties, especially in the presence of sodium ion. This lecture focuses on the latest achievements in these research areas.

  13. Spent fuel, plutonium and nuclear waste: long-term management; Le combustible use et le plutonium en tant que dechets nucleaires: gestion a long terme

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Collard, G

    1998-11-01

    Different options for the management of nuclear waste arising from the nuclear fuel cycle are discussed. Special emphasis is on reprocessing followed by geological disposal, geological disposal of reprocessing waste, direct geological disposal of spent nuclear fuel, long term storage. Particular emphasis is on the management of plutonium including recycling, immobilisation and disposal, partitioning and transmutation.

  14. Extraction of long-lived radionuclides from caustic Hanford tank waste supernatants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chaiko, D.J.; Mertz, C.J.; Vojta, Y.

    1995-07-01

    A series of polymer-based extraction systems, based on the use of polyethylene glycols (PEGs) or polypropylene glycols (PPGs), was demonstrated to be capable of selective extraction and recovery of long-lived radionuclides, such as 99 Tc and 129 I, from Hanford SY-101 tank waste, neutralized current acid waste, and single-shell tank waste simulants. During the extraction process, anionic species like TcO 4 - and I - are selectively transferred to the less dense PEG-rich aqueous phase. The partition coefficients for a wide range of inorganic cations and anions, such as sodium, potassium, aluminum, nitrate, nitrite, and carbonate, are all less than one. The partition coefficients for pertechnetate ranged from 12 to 50, depending on the choice of waste simulant and temperature. The partition coefficient for iodide was about 5, while that of iodate was about 0.25. Irradiation of the PEG phase with gamma-ray doses up to 20 Mrad had no detectable effect on the partition coefficients. The most selective extraction systems examined were those based on PPGs, which exhibited separation factors in excess of 3000 between TcO 4 - and NO 3 - /NO 2- . An advantage of the PPG-based system is minimization of secondary waste production. These studies also highlighted the need for exercising great care in extrapolating the partitioning behavior with tank waste simulants to actual tank waste

  15. Progress on radiochemical analysis for nuclear waste management in decommissioning

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hou, X. (Technical Univ. of Denmark. Center for Nuclear Technologies (NuTech), Roskilde (Denmark))

    2012-01-15

    This report summarized the progress in the development and improvement of radioanalytical methods for decommissioning and waste management completed in the NKS-B RadWaste 2011 project. Based on the overview information of the analytical methods in Nordic laboratories and requirement from the nuclear industry provided in the first phase of the RadWaste project (2010), some methods were improved and developed. A method for efficiently separation of Nb from nuclear waste especially metals for measurement of long-lived 94Nb by gamma spectrometry was developed. By systematic investigation of behaviours of technetium in sample treatment and chromatographic separation process, an effective method was developed for the determination of low level 99Tc in waste samples. An AMS approachment was investigated to measure ultra low level 237Np using 242Pu for AMS normalization, the preliminary results show a high potential of this method. Some progress on characterization of waste for decommissioning of Danish DR3 is also presented. (Author)

  16. Progress on radiochemical analysis for nuclear waste management in decommissioning

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hou, X.

    2012-01-01

    This report summarized the progress in the development and improvement of radioanalytical methods for decommissioning and waste management completed in the NKS-B RadWaste 2011 project. Based on the overview information of the analytical methods in Nordic laboratories and requirement from the nuclear industry provided in the first phase of the RadWaste project (2010), some methods were improved and developed. A method for efficiently separation of Nb from nuclear waste especially metals for measurement of long-lived 94Nb by gamma spectrometry was developed. By systematic investigation of behaviours of technetium in sample treatment and chromatographic separation process, an effective method was developed for the determination of low level 99Tc in waste samples. An AMS approachment was investigated to measure ultra low level 237Np using 242Pu for AMS normalization, the preliminary results show a high potential of this method. Some progress on characterization of waste for decommissioning of Danish DR3 is also presented. (Author)

  17. Long-term management of radioactive waste - will the Price-Anderson system work for third party liability issues arising from the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kuznick, S.K.

    1985-01-01

    Two pieces of legislation have been enacted in the United States to provide a framework for the management of radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel: the Low-level Radioactive Waste Policy Act (1980) and the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982. Neither of these statutes provide a means for resolving third party liability issues arising out of radioactive waste management. However, the Price Anderson Act (originally enacted in 1957) provides a system of financial protection that can be applied to waste management activities and that can resolve most issues pertaining to liability for nuclear damage that may result from long-term management of radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel. (NEA) [fr

  18. The role of long-term geologic changes in the regulation of the Canadian nuclear fuel waste management program

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Flavelle, P.

    1996-01-01

    It is recognized that the geosphere is a dynamic system over the long time frames of nuclear fuel waste disposal. This paper describes how consideration of a dynamic geosphere has impacted upon the evolving regulatory environment in Canada, and how the approach taken to comply with the regulatory requirements can affect the evaluation of long-term geologic changes. AECB staff opinion is that if the maximum possible effect of geologic changes can be demonstrated to have negligible impact on the safety of a nuclear fuel waste repository, then further consideration of a dynamic geosphere is unnecessary for the current review of the Canadian Nuclear Fuel Waste Management Program. (authors). 7 refs., 4 figs

  19. Tokamak transmutation of (nuclear) waste (TTW): Parametric studies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cheng, E.T.; Krakowski, R.A.; Peng, Y.K.M.

    1994-01-01

    Radioactive waste generated as part of the commercial-power and defense nuclear programs can be either stored or transmuted. The latter treatment requires a capital-intensive neutron source and is reserved for particularly hazardous and long-lived actinide and fission-product waste. A comparative description of fusion-based transmutation is made on the basis of rudimentary estimates of ergonic performance and transmutation capacities versus inventories for both ultra-low-aspect-ratio (spherical torus, ST) and conversional (aspect-ratio) tokamak fusion-power-core drivers. The parametric systems studies reported herein provides a preamble to more-detailed, cost-based systems analyses

  20. Modeling long-term aspects of nuclear waste disposal: the AEGIS experience

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dove, F.H.

    1983-01-01

    Modeling the long-term aspects of nuclear waste disposal has its roots in risk analysis of man-made systems like nuclear reactors. Analytical problems can be introduced into the performance assessment of a site-specific repository if an appreciation for the behavior of a natural earth system is not maintained. However, this should not preclude the application of historically useful analytical techniques like bounding strategies in favor of emerging, data-intensive techniques. The technical challenge is to apply existing technology and available data to a complex problem and produce a useful result

  1. Determination of 93Zr in medium and low level radioactive wastes from Brazilian nuclear power plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oliveira, Thiago C.; Oliveira, Arno H.

    2015-01-01

    The majority of long-lived radionuclides produced in the nuclear power plants can be regarded as difficult-to-measure radionuclides (RDM), hence chemical separation is necessary before the nuclear measurement of them. The zirconium isotope 93 Zr is a long-lived pure β-particle-emitting radionuclide produced from 235 U fission and from neutron activation of the stable isotope 92 Zr and thus occurring as one of the radionuclides found in nuclear reactors. Due to its long half-life, 93 Zr is one of the radionuclides of interest for the performance of assessment studies of waste storage or disposal. Two different methodologies based on extractive resins and LSC and ICP-MS techniques that enables the 93 Zr determination in medium (ILW) and low level (LLW) radioactive wastes samples from Brazilian nuclear power plants has been developed in our laboratory. Analyzing real samples 65% and 75% chemical yields for 93 Zr recovery were achieved for ICP-MS and LSC techniques, respectively. The detection limits were 0.045 μg.L -1 for ICP-MS and 0.05 Bq.L -1 for LSC techniques. (author)

  2. Review of radiation effects in solid-nuclear-waste forms

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Weber, W.J.

    1981-09-01

    Radiation effects on the stability of high-level nuclear waste (HLW) forms are an important consideration in the development of technology to immobilize high-level radioactive waste because such effects may significantly affect the containment of the radioactive waste. Since the required containment times are long (10 3 to 10 6 years), an understanding of the long-term cumulative effects of radiation damage on the waste forms is essential. Radiation damage of nuclear waste forms can result in changes in volume, leach rate, stored energy, structure/microstructure, and mechanical properties. Any one or combination of these changes might significantly affect the long-term stability of the nuclear waste forms. This report defines the general radiation damage problem in nuclear waste forms, describes the simulation techniques currently available for accelerated testing of nuclear waste forms, and reviews the available data on radiation effects in both glass and ceramic (primarily crystalline) waste forms. 76 references

  3. America's nuclear waste backlog

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Benenson, R.

    1981-01-01

    This report discusses three topics: concern and controversy relating to nuclear waste; high-level waste storage and politics of waste disposal. The most pressing waste disposal problem concerns spent fuel assemblies from commercial nuclear power plants. It was expected that commercial spent fuel would be sent to commercial reprocessing plants. The feasibility of commercial reprocessing in the United States is contingent on the expansion of the nuclear power industry. The current high-level liquid waste inventory is about 77 million gallons. These are stored at Richland, Washington; Aiken, South Carolina; and Idaho Falls, Idaho. The only commercial high-level wastes ever produced are stored at the defunct reprocessing facility at West Valley, New York. A high-level waste repository must be capable of isolating wastes that will remain dangerous for thousands of years. Salt has long been considered the most suitable medium for high-level and transuranic waste disposal. The timetable for opening a deep geological repository is one of the issues that will have to be dealt with by Congress. The 97th Congress appears ready to act on high-level nuclear waste legislation. Even opponents of nuclear expansion admit the necessity of legislation. Even if Congress gets its act together, it does not mean that the nuclear waste issue is gone. There are still unknowns - future of reprocessing, the needs and demands of the military; the health of the nuclear power industry; the objections of residents in potential site areas; the possibility of a state veto, and the unsolved technological problems in geologic site selection

  4. Induced γ emission for nuclear isomer long-lived

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang Tianli; Hao Fanhua

    2007-06-01

    It is pointed that the induced 7 emission for long lived isomer 178m2 Hf by low energy X rays has been a topic subject in the nuclear field recently. The background and development status are described. A principle for T ray transitions induced by X rays and the theoretical about magnificent induced emission have been related. In addition, the possible method of 178m2 Hf produce has been introduced also. Although the argument has existed for the experimental results of induced 7 emission, it can push forward in solving energy crisis and in future military field after controlling effectively the releasing of high excited energy for isomer. (authors)

  5. Long lived nuclear waste transmutation: context and trends

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Prunier, C.; Pacton, L.

    1994-01-01

    After a recall of the actual strategy, in France, for the radioactive wastes, we give an overview of the programs CAPRA and SPIN (Separation-Incineration) for separate the minors actinides (Am,Np,..) and then to reduce the radiological risk create by these products by incineration in a LMFBR. 13 figs, 1 annexe

  6. Global nuclear waste repository proposal highlights Australia's nuclear energy vacuum

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1999-01-01

    The Pangea proposal is disscused and considered relevant to Australia. A five-year research program by the company has identified Australia and Argentina as having the appropriate geological, economic and democratic credentials for such a deep repository, with Australia being favoured. A deep repository would be located where the geology has been stable for several hundred million years, so that there need not be total reliance on a robust engineered barrier system to keep the waste securely isolated for thousands of years. It would be a commercial undertaking and would have dedicated port and rail infrastructure. It would take spent fuel and other wastes from commercial reactors, and possibly also waste from weapons disposal programs. Clearly, while the primary ethical and legal principle is that each country is entirely responsible for its own waste, including nuclear waste (polluter pays etc), the big question is whether the concept of an international waste repository is acceptable ethically. Political and economic questions are secondary to this. By taking a fresh look at the reasons for the difficulties which have faced most national repository programs, and discarding the preconception that each country must develop its own disposal facilities, it is possible to define a class of simple, superior high isolation sites which may provide a multi-national basis for solving the nuclear waste disposal problem. The relatively small volumes of high-level wastes or spent fuel which arise from nuclear power production make shared repositories a feasible proposition. For small countries, the economies of scale which can be achieved make the concept attractive. For all countries, objective consideration of the relative merits of national and multi-national solutions is a prudent part of planning the management of long-lived radioactive wastes

  7. Nuclear wastes management. 1. round table - geologic disposal as questioned by the public in concern

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2005-01-01

    The law from December 30, 1991, precisely defines 3 axes of researches for the management of high level and long-lived radioactive wastes: separation/transmutation, surface storage and underground disposal. A global evaluation report about these researches is to be supplied in 2006 by the French government to the Parliament. A first synthesis of the knowledge gained after 14 years of research has led the national commission of the public debate (CNDP) to organize a national debate about the general options of management of high-level and long-lived radioactive wastes before the 2006 date line. The debate comprises 4 public hearings (September 2005: Bar-le-Duc, Saint-Dizier, Pont-du-Gard, Cherbourg), 12 round-tables (October and November 2005: Paris, Joinville, Caen, Nancy, Marseille), a synthesis meeting (December 2005, Dunkerque) and a closing meeting (January 2006, Lyon). This document is the synthesis of the debates of the last round table held at Paris. This meeting gathers representatives of the different actors of the nuclear industry, ministers, public authorities, non governmental organizations who argue the questions asked by peoples from the audience. The topics concern various aspects of waste management, like the quantity of wastes in concern, the reversibility of storages, the monitoring of waste facilities once closed down, the related costs, and the general safety questions about the suitability of the clay formation near the Bure site for the disposal of high-level and long-lived radioactive wastes. A second part of the meeting addresses some remarks about the information of the general public and the decision making process. Finally, five presentations (slides) are attached to these proceedings and treat of: the safety of the disposal in deep geologic formation; the management of spent fuels in Canada; the nuclear wastes R and D in Sweden; the researches and projects in Belgium for the geologic disposal of long-lived radioactive wastes; the results

  8. The IAEA project on nuclear and non-nuclear wastes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Seitz, Roger

    1998-01-01

    Radioactive and chemotoxic agents are common in electricity generation waste. Data and assessments illustrate that nuclear and non-nuclear fuel chains result in waste posing potential long-term hazards. Efforts are focussed on filling data gaps and approaches for comparing impacts of radioactive and chemotoxic agents

  9. α and long-lived βγ waste source term. A first generation model for a deep cemented waste repository

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lovera, P.; Mangin, J.P.; Jorda, M.; Lewi, J.

    1987-01-01

    According to the normal scenario of radioactivity release to the biosphere, only long-lived nuclides are able to migrate significantly to the surface. A first generation model, concerning a cemented waste of hulls and ends deeply disposed of in a granitic medium is in progress at CEA. Two nuclides have been selected: 237-Neptunium (as a reference of α emitters) and 135-Cesium (as a reference of long-lived β emitters). Attributing the long term activity to these both nuclides leads to a model which is conservative beyond ca. 150000 years. Principal difficulties arise from physico-chemical behaviour of Neptunium in aqueous phase, and from non-linear Cesium adsorption on various media. Condiment code (versions 2 and 3), which is developed parallely to the present model is conceived to take account for these phenomena

  10. Extraction of long-lived radionuclides from caustic Hanford tank waste supernatants

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chaiko, D.J.; Mertz, C.J.; Vojta, Y. [and others

    1995-07-01

    A series of polymer-based extraction systems, based on the use of polyethylene glycols (PEGs) or polypropylene glycols (PPGs), was demonstrated to be capable of selective extraction and recovery of long-lived radionuclides, such as {sup 99}Tc and {sup 129}I, from Hanford SY-101 tank waste, neutralized current acid waste, and single-shell tank waste simulants. During the extraction process, anionic species like TcO{sub 4}{sup {minus}} and I{sup {minus}} are selectively transferred to the less dense PEG-rich aqueous phase. The partition coefficients for a wide range of inorganic cations and anions, such as sodium, potassium, aluminum, nitrate, nitrite, and carbonate, are all less than one. The partition coefficients for pertechnetate ranged from 12 to 50, depending on the choice of waste simulant and temperature. The partition coefficient for iodide was about 5, while that of iodate was about 0.25. Irradiation of the PEG phase with gamma-ray doses up to 20 Mrad had no detectable effect on the partition coefficients. The most selective extraction systems examined were those based on PPGs, which exhibited separation factors in excess of 3000 between TcO{sub 4}{sup {minus}} and NO{sub 3}{sup {minus}}/NO{sub 2}{sub {minus}}. An advantage of the PPG-based system is minimization of secondary waste production. These studies also highlighted the need for exercising great care in extrapolating the partitioning behavior with tank waste simulants to actual tank waste.

  11. Transmutation of nuclear waste. Status report RAS programme 1993: Recycling and transmutation of actinides and fission products

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abrahams, K.; Bultman, J.H.; Cordfunke, E.H.P.; Gruppelaar, H.; Janssen, A.J.; Franken, W.M.P.; Klippel, K.T.; Kloosterman, J.L.; Konings, R.J.M.; Smit, J.

    1994-11-01

    The term ''nuclear transmutation'' means a conversion of long-lived radioactive nuclides into short-lived or stable nuclides and ''recycling'' means re-use of fissile material to generate energy in power reactors. With these two processes a reduction of the radiotoxicity and of its duration may be achieved, thus reducing the potential hazard to future generations. Firstly, the report gives a survey of the present situation regarding nuclear waste: its components, how the waste is produced in current LWR and possible options for interim and final storage. Then the objective of the RAS programme, the working methods and the state of the art of the research are considered. Two chapters deal with preliminary results of national and international research. A rather tentative prediction for the future is formulated. Some conclusions are drawn: It seems to be in the best interests of the Netherlands to continue the established line of reprocessing nuclear waste, should new reactors be introduced. It may be advisable to make international agreements so that in the future fission products will contain as few traces of transuranic actinides and long-lived components as possible. Consequently, nuclear waste would become cleaner in terms of long-lived components. For the transmutation of products separated in foreign countries, the Netherlands could pursue an active policy, perform research and also consider the use of MOX fuel in future Dutch reactors. Further contributions towards the solution of these problems can only be made by the Netherlands on an international level. As such, the research and study performed within the framework of the RAS-programme represents a useful international contribution. The possibilities offered by the HFR are particularly of great value. Finally, the choice of a new generation of nuclear reactors should be made not based only on the safety aspects, but also on the extent of waste production and on the transmutation possibilities (application

  12. System study on partitioning and transmutation of long-lived isotopes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Szieberth, M.

    2001-01-01

    The management of long-lived isotopes - transuranium elements and fission products - produced in nuclear reactors is a problem that substantially affects the public acceptance of nuclear energy, and may influence the long-term hazard caused by energy production. Partitioning and transmutation of spent fuel materials offer a suitable solution to this problem. After the nuclear community had realised this fact, the number of publications on this topic significantly increased but there is still a lack of studies that include the analysis of not only one instrument but also the whole nuclear energy system. However, from the viewpoint of Partitioning and transmutation's implementation a substantial question is the cooperation of plants optimised for energy generation and others for partitioning or transmutation. In order to analyse this problem, the schemes of different systems are framed and their mathematical models are worked out. The systems are evaluated through the long-term risks caused by the waste deposited in final disposal, and the risks are described by a newly defined quantity, the residual hazard index. (author)

  13. Report of ICRP Task Group 80: 'radiological protection in geological disposal of long-lived solid radioactive waste'.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weiss, W

    2012-01-01

    The report of International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) Task Group 80 entitled 'Radiological protection in geological disposal of long-lived solid radioactive waste' updates and consolidates previous ICRP recommendations related to solid waste disposal (ICRP Publications 46, 77, and 81). The recommendations given in this report apply specifically to geological disposal of long-lived solid radioactive waste. The report explains how the 2007 system of radiological protection, described in ICRP Publication 103, can be applied in the context of the geological disposal of long-lived solid radioactive waste. The report is written as a self-standing document. It describes the different stages in the lifetime of a geological disposal facility, and addresses the application of relevant radiological protection principles for each stage depending on the various exposure situations that can be encountered. In particular, the crucial factor that influences application of the protection system over the different phases in the lifetime of a disposal facility is the level of oversight that is present. The level of oversight affects the capability to reduce or avoid exposures. Three main time frames have to be considered for the purpose of radiological protection: time of direct oversight when the disposal facility is being implemented and active oversight is taking place; time of indirect oversight when the disposal facility is sealed and indirect oversight is being exercised to provide additional assurance on behalf of the population; and time of no oversight when oversight is no longer exercised because memory is lost. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  14. Management of radioactive wastes from nuclear fuels and power plants in Canada

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tomlinson, M.; Mayman, S.A.; Tammemagi, H.Y.; Gale, J.; Sanford, B.

    1977-05-01

    The nature of Canadian nuclear fuel and nuclear generating plant radioactive wastes is summarized. Principles of a scheme for disposal of long-lived radioactive wastes deep underground in isolation from man and the biosphere are outlined. The status of the development and construction program is indicated. We have demonstrated incorporation of fission products in solids that in the short term (17 years) dissolve more slowly than plutonium decays. Investigations of long-term stability are in hand. Additional capacity for storage of used fuel prior to reprocessing and disposal is required by 1986 and a preliminary design has been prepared for a pool facility to be located at a central fuel recycling and disposal complex. A demonstration of dry storage of fuel in concrete containers is in progress. The quantities of CANDU generating-station wastes and the principles and methods for managing them are summarized. A radioactive-waste operations site is being developed with several different types of surface storage, each with multiple barriers against leakage. A reactor decommissioning study has been completed. Estimated costs of the various waste management operations are summarized. (author)

  15. Nuclear chemistry research for the safe disposal of nuclear waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fanghaenel, Thomas

    2011-01-01

    The safe disposal of high-level nuclear waste and spent nuclear fuel is of key importance for the future sustainable development of nuclear energy. Concepts foresee the isolation of the nuclear waste in deep geological formations. The long-term radiotoxicity of nuclear waste is dominated by plutonium and the minor actinides. Hence it is essential for the performance assessment of a nuclear waste disposal to understand the chemical behaviour of actinides in a repository system. The aqueous chemistry and thermodynamics of actinides is rather complex in particular due to their very rich redox chemistry. Recent results of our detailed study of the Plutonium and Neptunium redox - and complexation behaviour are presented and discussed. (author)

  16. 21st century challenges and opportunities for nuclear waste management

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McKinley, I.G.

    2009-01-01

    The technical arguments for massive expansion of nuclear power generation are convincing, but such a renaissance requires public acceptance. For diehard nuclear opponents, criticism now focuses on its Achilles heel - the unsolved (and often claimed to be insoluble) problem of disposal of the resultant long-lived waste. In fact, the geological disposal of nuclear waste can be managed safely with existing technology and should really be touted as one of the advantages of this option. Clearly, there is a major challenge in communicating disposal safety to key stakeholders in order to realise this benefit. Nevertheless, the growth of environmental concern about global warming and the present economic climate may present opportunities to initiate dialogue with relevant communities, allowing the attractions of hosting future disposal facilities to be seen. Rather than being the archetypal focus for NIMBY reactions, maybe within a few years we can look forward to growing competition to host geological repositories for radioactive waste.(Author)

  17. Energies and media nr 33. Niger. Conditions for the nuclear sector. Waste disposal

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2010-11-01

    After having evoked the situation of ARLIT's employees who are held as hostages in Niger, and some comments on recent events in the nuclear sector in different countries (energy policy and projects in India, in China, in the USA with opportunities for the French nuclear industry, and in Germany, Belgium, France), this publication discusses the issue of nuclear waste disposal. After having briefly recalled the content of the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management, it discusses the option of waste storage in deep geological formation, an option which has been chosen by several countries. It questions whether sea beds will ever be a storage option. It comments the case of Germany, of the United States where the storage of high level and long-lived wastes is still facing major problems

  18. Nuclear waste management policies in the world: deciding today while leaving manoeuvre margins for tomorrow

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Massou, F.; Gras, A.

    2005-01-01

    The author first gives an overview of the definition of nuclear wastes, of their different types, and of their origins. He describes the waste production process by nuclear plants, and presents the case of high-level long-lived nuclear wastes. He outlines the need for a political processing of these wastes as they have been produced by public policies, and as decisions now concern and involve scientists, local interests and the civil society. Then, he describes the various technologies (storage, separation-transmutation, disposal), discusses their potential impacts, advantages and drawbacks, and how to take a political decision on them. He discusses the lessons learned from the German and Finnish examples and experiments in geological storage. He discusses the financing issue, notably from these examples

  19. Surface disposal of low-level and medium-level short-lived waste. How safe is the disposal facility in Dessel in the long term?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2014-01-01

    A disposal facility for the disposal of low-level and medium-level short-lived waste is planned to be built on a site located in the community of Dessel (Belgium). The facility will consist of 34 modules, corresponding to a storage volume capacity of approximately 70,000 m3. The disposal concept includes waste containers that are encapsulated in a concrete box which is filled with mortar. Approximately 900 of these blocks, or monoliths, fit inside each module. The article discusses the Research and Development programme that has been conducted at the Belgian Nuclear Research Center SCK-CEN in conjunction with the development of this facility. Main emphasis is on the models that have been developed for predicting the long-term containment of the disposal facility.

  20. The value and need for long term conservation of information regarding nuclear waste repositories

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Eng, T. [Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Co., Stockholm (Sweden); Jensen, M. [Swedish Radiation Protection Inst., Stockholm (Sweden)

    1993-12-31

    An important question in safety assessment of all repositories where toxic waste is disposed is how long should information be available to society about the repository and its content? Future societies right to knowledge must be considered and actions must already today be taken to ensure that proper information conservation, transfer and retrieval are provided. Collection of relevant information must be planned for at the research, construction and the operational phase of a repository. One of the main areas for information conservation and transfer is to mitigate future human intrusion. A system for best possible mitigation of human intrusion should with the present knowledge comprise the following parts: (a) development of planning procedures for long-term conservation of gathered information (present and future national and international archives, markers etc.); (b) continuous follow up of the state-of-the-art of information media; (c) preparations for national rules and regulations on nuclear waste information; (d) participation in international cooperation on issues concerning nuclear waste information keeping, transfer and retrieval.

  1. Feasibility of space disposal of radioactive nuclear waste. 2: Technical summary

    Science.gov (United States)

    1974-01-01

    The feasibility of transporting radioactive waste produced in the process of generating electricity in nuclear powerplants into space for ultimate disposal was investigated at the request of the AEC as a NASA in-house effort. The investigation is part of a broad AEC study of methods for long-term storage or disposal of radioactive waste. The results of the study indicate that transporting specific radioactive wastes, particularly the actinides with very long half-lives, into space using the space shuttle/tug as the launch system, appears feasible from the engineering and safety viewpoints. The space transportation costs for ejecting the actinides out of the solar system would represent less than a 5-percent increase in the average consumer's electric bill.

  2. Plan 96 - Costs for management of the radioactive waste from nuclear power production

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1996-06-01

    This report presents a calculation of the costs for implementing all measures needed to manage and dispose of spent nuclear fuel and radioactive wastes from the Swedish nuclear power reactors. The cost calculations include costs for R,D and D as well as for decommissioning and dismantling the reactor plants etc. The following facilities and systems are already in operation: Transportation system for radioactive waste products, Central interim storage facility for spent nuclear fuel, Final repository for radioactive operational wastes. Plans exist for: Encapsulation plant for spent nuclear fuel, Deep repository for spent fuel and other long-lived waste, Final repository for decommissioning waste. The total future costs, in Jan 1996 prices, for the Swedish waste system from 1997 have been calculated to be 42.2 billion SEK (about 6.4 billion USD). The total costs apply for the waste obtained from 25 years of operation of all Swedish reactors. It is estimated that 10.6 billion SEK in current money has been spent through 1996. Costs based on waste quantities from operation of the reactors for 40 years are also reported. 6 refs

  3. Salvaging of nuclear waste by nuclear-optical converters

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karelin, A. V.; Shirokov, R. V.

    2007-06-01

    In modern conditions of power consumption growing in Russia, apparently, it is difficult to find alternative to further development of nuclear power engineering. The negative party of nuclear power engineering is the spent fuel of nuclear reactors (radioactive waste). The gaseous and fluid radioactive waste furbished of highly active impurity, dumps in atmosphere or pools. The highly active fluid radioactive waste stores by the way of saline concentrates in special tanks in surface layers of ground, above the level of groundwaters. A firm radioactive waste bury in pods from a stainless steel in underground workings, salt deposits, at the bottom of oceans. However this problem can be esteemed in a positive direction, as irradiation is a hard radiation, which one can be used as a power source in nuclear - optical converters with further conversion of optical radiation into the electric power with the help of photoelectric converters. Thus waste at all do not demand special processing and exposure in temporary storehouses. And the electricity can be worked out in a constant mode within many years practically without gang of a stimulus source, if a level of a residual radioactivity and the half-lives of component are high enough.

  4. Nuclear waste: The 10,000-year challenge

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dolan, E.F.; Scariano, M.M.

    1993-01-01

    Treatment, storage, and disposal of nuclear waste has a long history and presents immediate issues to be resolved. This book attempts to inform a broadly based readership of the complexities of nuclear waste management by summarizing (1) physics of radioactive energy; (2) its potential health and environmental effects; and (3) the treatment, storage, and disposal options for different types of radioactive waste. However, the longest section in the book deals with DOE's plans for transportation and permanent storage of nuclear powerplant wastes under the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982. The book's presentation of the problem of nuclear waste is uncritical and based primarily on dramatic anecdotes and confidently worded DOE documents

  5. Global nuclear waste repository proposal highlights Australia`s nuclear energy vacuum

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Anon.

    1999-06-01

    The Pangea proposal is disscused and considered relevant to Australia. A five-year research program by the company has identified Australia and Argentina as having the appropriate geological, economic and democratic credentials for such a deep repository, with Australia being favoured. A deep repository would be located where the geology has been stable for several hundred million years, so that there need not be total reliance on a robust engineered barrier system to keep the waste securely isolated for thousands of years. It would be a commercial undertaking and would have dedicated port and rail infrastructure. It would take spent fuel and other wastes from commercial reactors, and possibly also waste from weapons disposal programs. Clearly, while the primary ethical and legal principle is that each country is entirely responsible for its own waste, including nuclear waste (polluter pays etc), the big question is whether the concept of an international waste repository is acceptable ethically. Political and economic questions are secondary to this. By taking a fresh look at the reasons for the difficulties which have faced most national repository programs, and discarding the preconception that each country must develop its own disposal facilities, it is possible to define a class of simple, superior high isolation sites which may provide a multi-national basis for solving the nuclear waste disposal problem. The relatively small volumes of high-level wastes or spent fuel which arise from nuclear power production make shared repositories a feasible proposition. For small countries, the economies of scale which can be achieved make the concept attractive. For all countries, objective consideration of the relative merits of national and multi-national solutions is a prudent part of planning the management of long-lived radioactive wastes

  6. Nuclear waste management policy in France

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lefevre, J.F.

    1983-01-01

    The object of the nuclear waste management policy in France has always been to protect the worker and the public from unacceptable risks. The means and the structures developed to reach this objective, however, have evolved with time. One fact has come out ever more clearly over the years: Nuclear waste problems cannot be considered in a piecemeal fashion. The French nuclear waste management structure and policy aim at just this global approach. Responsibilities have been distributed between the main partners: the waste producers and conditioners, the research teams, the safety authorities, and the long-term waste manager, National Radioactive Waste Management Agency. The main technical options adopted for waste forms are embedding in hydraulic binders, bitumen, or thermosetting resins for low-level waste (LLW) and medium-level waste (MLW), and vitrification for high-level, liquid wastes. One shallow land disposal site for LLW and MLW has been in operation since 1969, the Centre of La Manche. Alpha-bearing and high-level waste will be disposed of by deep geological storage, possibly in granite formations. Further RandD aims mainly at improving present-day practices, developing more durable, long-term, alpha-bearing waste for all solid waste forms and going into all aspects of deep geological disposal characterization

  7. Study on improvement in reliability of inventory assessment in vitrified waste for long-term safety of geological disposal

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ishikawa, Masumi; Kaneko, Satoru; Kitayama, Kazumi; Ishiguro, Katsuhiko; Ueda, Hiroyoshi; Wakasugi, Keiichiro; Shinohara, Nobuo; Okumura, Keisuke; Chino, Masamichi; Moriya, Noriyasu

    2009-01-01

    Since quality control issues for vitrified waste are defined mainly with the focus on the transport and interim storage of the waste rather than the long-term safety of geological disposal, they do not cover inventories of long-lived nuclides that are of most interest in the safety assessment of geological disposal. Therefore, we suggest a flow chart for the assessment of inventories of long-lived nuclides in the vitrified waste focusing on the measured values. This includes an indirect assessment with indicative nuclides that have been already measured in the returned vitrified wastes from abroad. In order to apply this flow chart for commercial operation, its applicability should be examined for cases with a variation in burn-up history and with an uncertainty associated with carry-over fraction at reprocessing. We started an R and D program to examine the applicability as well as to improve the reliability of the nuclide generation/decay code and the nuclear data library using liquid waste from spent fuel with a clear irradiation history. To solve the issue of quality control for vitrified waste, a comprehensive study is needed in aspects not only of geological disposal field but also of operation of a nuclear power plant, reprocessing of spent fuel and vitrification of liquid waste. This study is a pioneering study conducted to integrate them. (author)

  8. Accelerator driven systems for energy production and waste incineration: Physics, design and related nuclear data

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Herman, M.; Stanculescu, A.; Paver, N.

    2003-01-01

    This volume contains the notes of lectures given at the workshops 'Hybrid Nuclear Systems for Energy Production, Utilisation of Actinides and Transmutation of Long-lived Radioactive Waste' and 'Nuclear Data for Science and Technology: Accelerator Driven Waste Incineration', held at the Abdus Salam ICTP in September 2001. The subject of the first workshop was focused on the so-called Accelerator Driven Systems, and covered the most important physics and technological aspects of this innovative field. The second workshop was devoted to an exhaustive survey on the acquisition, evaluation, retrieval and validation of the nuclear data relevant to the design of Accelerator Driven Systems

  9. Accelerator driven systems for energy production and waste incineration: Physics, design and related nuclear data

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Herman, M; Stanculescu, A [International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna (Austria); Paver, N [University of Trieste and INFN, Trieste (Italy)

    2003-06-15

    This volume contains the notes of lectures given at the workshops 'Hybrid Nuclear Systems for Energy Production, Utilisation of Actinides and Transmutation of Long-lived Radioactive Waste' and 'Nuclear Data for Science and Technology: Accelerator Driven Waste Incineration', held at the Abdus Salam ICTP in September 2001. The subject of the first workshop was focused on the so-called Accelerator Driven Systems, and covered the most important physics and technological aspects of this innovative field. The second workshop was devoted to an exhaustive survey on the acquisition, evaluation, retrieval and validation of the nuclear data relevant to the design of Accelerator Driven Systems.

  10. Review of the nuclear waste disposal problem

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Poch, L.A.; Wolsko, T.D.

    1979-10-01

    Regardless of future nuclear policy, a nuclear waste disposal problem does exist and must be dealt with. Even a moratorium on new nuclear plants leaves us with the wastes already in existence and wastes yet to be generated by reactors in operation. Thus, technologies to effectively dispose of our current waste problem must be researched and identified and, then, disposal facilities built. The magnitude of the waste disposal problem is a function of future nuclear policy. There are some waste disposal technologies that are suitable for both forms of HLW (spent fuel and reprocessing wastes), whereas others can be used with only reprocessed wastes. Therefore, the sooner a decision on the future of nuclear power is made the more accurately the magnitude of the waste problem will be known, thereby identifying those technologies that deserve more attention and funding. It is shown that there are risks associated with every disposal technology. One technology may afford a higher isolation potential at the expense of increased transportation risks in comparison to a second technology. Establishing the types of risks we are willing to live with must be resolved before any waste disposal technology can be instituted for widespread commercial use

  11. An optimized approach towards the treatment of high level liquid waste in the nuclear cycle

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Maio, V.; Todd, T.; Law, J.; Roach, J.; Sabharwall, P.

    2006-01-01

    Full text: One key long-standing issue that must be overcome to realize the successful growth of nuclear power is an economical, politically acceptable, stakeholder-compatible, and technically feasible resolution pertaining to the safe treatment and disposal of high-level liquid radioactive waste (HLLW). In addition to spent nuclear reactor fuel, HLLW poses a unique challenge in regard to environmental and security concerns, since future scenarios for a next generation of domestic and commercialized nuclear fuel cycle infrastructures must include reprocessing - the primary source of HLLW-to ensure the cost effectiveness of nuclear power as well as mitigate any threats as related to proliferation. Past attempts to immobilize HLLW - generated by both the weapons complex and the commercial power sector-have been plagued by an inability to convince the public and some technical peer reviewers that any proposed geological disposal sites (e.g., Yucca Mountain) can accommodate and contain the HLLW for a period of geological time equivalent to ten fold the radiological half-life of the longest lived of the actinides remaining after reprocessing. The paper explores combined equipment and chemical processing approaches for advancing and economizing the immobilization of high level liquid waste to ensure its long term durability, its decoupling from the unknown behavior of the repository over long geological time periods, and its economical formulation as required for the nuclear fuel cycle of the future. One approach involves the investigation of crystalline based waste forms as opposed to the glass/amorphous based waste forms, and how recent developments in crystalline forms show promise in sequestering the long lived actinides for over tens of millions of years. Another approach -compatible with the first- involves the use of an alternative melter technology-the Cold Crucible Induction Melter (CCIM)- to overcome the engineering material problems of Joule Heated Meters (JHM

  12. Determination of zirconium 93 and molybdenum 93 in reprocessing nuclear waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Puech, P.

    1998-01-01

    The aim of this work is to find new determination methods of zirconium 93 and molybdenum 93 (two long-lived radioelements) contained in reprocessing nuclear waste. 93 Zr has a very long period: 1.5 * 10 6 years. The measurement of this isotope is more performing by the ICP-MS method than by the classical radiochemical measurement methods. 93 Mo disintegrates with a radioactive period of 4000 years and can be detected by radiochemical measurement in particular by X spectrometry. But these radioelements cannot be directly measured on the reprocessing nuclear waste; they require a preliminary chemical separation (removing the radioelements able to interfere and those responsible of the radioactivity of the nuclear waste). The separation is implemented with very potentially selective techniques, using Mo and Zr specific extracting molecules: solvent extraction, emulsified liquid membrane extraction and liquid chromatography extraction (on a resin impregnated by solvent). Studies carried out in CEA/Cadarache, on a synthetic solution simulating a reprocessing nuclear waste, have allowed to show the selective properties of the L'-benzoinoxime for extracting Mo and of TBP for extracting Zr for the three studied techniques. The optimal extraction and separation conditions have been reached with a methodology including experiment plans. At last, the methods have been tested on real reprocessing nuclear waste at Cogema/La Hague. 93 Zr and 93 Mo have been measured in a dissolution solution and in a fission product solution. The obtained values are 2 * 10 6 Bq/l and 10 7 Bq/l for 93 Zr and 500 Bq/l for 93 Mo in a dissolution solution. These methods have allowed to determine too the isotopic compositions for Mo and Zr elements contained in reprocessing nuclear waste. The results are in accordance with those obtained with the Cesar code. (O.M.)

  13. Accelerator-driven destruction of long-lived radioactive waste and energy production

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schriber, S.O.

    1997-01-01

    Nuclear waste management involves many issues. ATW is an option that can assist a repository by enhancing its capability and thereby assist nuclear waste management. Technology advances and the recent release of liquid metal coolant information from Russia has had an enormous impact on the viability of an ATW system. It now appears economic with many repository enhancing attributes. In time, an ATW option added to present repository activities will provide the public with a nuclear fuel cycle that is acceptable from economic and environmental points of view

  14. Deep repository for long-lived low- and intermediate-level waste. Preliminary safety assessment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1999-11-01

    A preliminary safety assessment has been performed of a deep repository for long-lived low- and intermediate-level waste, SFL 3-5. The purpose of the study is to investigate the capacity of the facility to act as a barrier to the release of radionuclides and toxic pollutants, and to shed light on the importance of the location of the repository site. A safety assessment (SR 97) of a deep repository for spent fuel has been carried out at the same time. In SR 97, three hypothetical repository sites have been selected for study. These sites exhibit fairly different conditions in terms of hydrogeology, hydrochemistry and ecosystems. To make use of information and data from the SR 97 study, we have assumed that SFL 3-5 is co-sited with the deep repository for spent fuel. A conceivable alternative is to site SFL 3-5 as a completely separate repository. The focus of the SFL 3-5 study is a quantitative analysis of the environmental impact for a reference scenario, while other scenarios are discussed and analyzed in more general terms. Migration in the repository's near- and far-field has been taken into account in the reference scenario. Environmental impact on the three sites has also been calculated. The calculations are based on an updated forecast of the waste to be disposed of in SFL 3-5. The forecast includes radionuclide content, toxic metals and other substances that have a bearing on a safety assessment. The safety assessment shows how important the site is for safety. Two factors stand out as being particularly important: the water flow at the depth in the rock where the repository is built, and the ecosystem in the areas on the ground surface where releases may take place in the future. Another conclusion is that radionuclides that are highly mobile and long-lived, such as 36 Cl and 93 Mo , are important to take into consideration. Their being long-lived means that barriers and the ecosystems must be regarded with a very long time horizon

  15. Interim report on research between Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute on neutron-capture cross sections by long-lived fission product nuclides

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Furutaka, Kazuyoshi; Nakamura, Shoji; Harada, Hideo

    2004-03-01

    Neutron capture cross sections of long-lived fission products (LLFP) are important quantities as fundamental data for the study of nuclear transmutation of radioactive wastes. Previously obtained thermal-neutron capture gamma-ray data were analyzed to deduce the partial neutron-capture cross sections of LLFPs including 99 Tc, 93 Zr, and 107 Pd for thermal neutrons. By comparing the decay gamma-ray data and prompt gamma-ray data for 99 Tc, the relation between the neutron-capture cross section deduced by the two different methods was studied. For the isotopes 93 Zr and 107 Pd, thermal neutron-capture gamma-ray production cross sections were deduced for the first time. The level schemes of 99 Tc, 93 Zr, and 107 Pd have also been constructed form the analyzed data and compared with previously reported levels. This work has been done under the cooperative program 'Neutron Capture Cross Sections of Long-Lived Fission products (LLFPs)' by Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute (JNC) and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). (author)

  16. Presentation of preliminary studies relative to the long duration disposal of medium level and long lived (MLLL) wastes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Leroy, C.; Moreau, A.; Fayette, L.; Bellon, M.; Templier, J.C.; Macias, R.M.; Porcher, J.B.; Rey, F.; Hollender, F.; Girard, J.P.

    2002-01-01

    In the contract of objectives signed in 2001 with the government, the French atomic energy commission (CEA) committed itself to supply reports of preliminary studies about long duration disposal concepts for medium level and long lived radioactive wastes. This document makes the synthesis of the preliminary studies carried out in 2001 and 2002 by exploring simultaneously the surface and subsurface disposal concepts. The studies deal with the design of a facility with a long service life. Four hypotheses have been retained for the preliminary studies: a secular lifetime (typically 100 to 300 years), a single and new site for all waste packages (no existing facility available), two confinement barriers, an envelope-type site with specific characteristics (seismicity, climate conditions, airplane crash..). These preliminary studies show the existence of solutions for each option: with and without storage containers in both type (surface and subsurface) of facilities. They outline the necessity of studying more thoroughly some technical points. This instruction will be performed for the concepts retained after a multi-criteria analysis. (J.S.)

  17. Fast reactors will eat nuclear waste from LWR

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tokiwai, Moriyasu [Central Research Inst. of Electric Power Industry, Komae, Tokyo (Japan). Komae Res., Lab.

    1999-12-01

    Although nuclear power is one of the indispensable energy sources to support modern life styles in developed countries, it becomes harder and harder to increase its capacity. Newspaper reported that there are numbers of evidences showing the suppression effect on cancer by the low level of radiation. It is expected for public people that the fear for radiation induced harm on health will mitigate through the explanation based on scientific evidences. Safe management of radioactive waste is one of the most serious issues to be solved. The neutron at fast reactors can eat more effectively the long lived several nuclear waste materials from light water reactor system, The key issue is to develop the fast reactor fuel cycle system technologies that are more economical, more proliferation resistant and higher breeding ratio. The Metallic Fuel Cycle is one of the options for the future fast breeder reactor and its related fuel cycle that enable to give the answer for the radioactive waste issues. The attractiveness of the metallic fuel cycle concept is briefly described. (author)

  18. Fast reactors will eat nuclear waste from LWR

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tokiwai, Moriyasu

    1999-01-01

    Although nuclear power is one of the indispensable energy sources to support modern life styles in developed countries, it becomes harder and harder to increase its capacity. Newspaper reported that there are numbers of evidences showing the suppression effect on cancer by the low level of radiation. It is expected for public people that the fear for radiation induced harm on health will mitigate through the explanation based on scientific evidences. Safe management of radioactive waste is one of the most serious issues to be solved. The neutron at fast reactors can eat more effectively the long lived several nuclear waste materials from light water reactor system, The key issue is to develop the fast reactor fuel cycle system technologies that are more economical, more proliferation resistant and higher breeding ratio. The Metallic Fuel Cycle is one of the options for the future fast breeder reactor and its related fuel cycle that enable to give the answer for the radioactive waste issues. The attractiveness of the metallic fuel cycle concept is briefly described. (author)

  19. RED-IMPACT. Impact of partitioning, transmutation and waste reduction technologies on the final nuclear waste disposal. Synthesis report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lensa, Werner von; Nabbi, Rahim; Rossbach, Matthias (eds.) [Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH (Germany)

    2008-07-01

    The impact of partitioning and transmutation (P and T) and waste reduction technologies on the nuclear waste management and particularly on the final disposal has been analysed within the EU-funded RED-IMPACT project. Five representative scenarios, ranging from direct disposal of the spent fuel to fully closed cycles (including minor actinide (MA) recycling) with fast neutron reactors or accelerator-driven systems (ADS), were chosen in the project to cover a wide range of representative waste streams, fuel cycle facilities and process performances. High and intermediate level waste streams have been evaluated for all of these scenarios with the aim of analysing the impact on geological disposal in different host formations such as granite, clay and salt. For each scenario and waste stream, specific waste package forms have been proposed and their main characteristics identified. Both equilibrium and transition analyses have been applied to those scenarios. The performed assessments have addressed parameters such as the total radioactive and radiotoxic inventory, discharges during reprocessing, thermal power and radiation emission of the waste packages, corrosion of matrices, transport of radioisotopes through the engineered and geological barriers or the resulting doses from the repository. The major conclusions of include the fact, that deep geological repository to host the remaining high level waste (HLW) and possibly the long-lived intermediate level waste (ILW) is unavoidable whatever procedure is implemented to manage waste streams from different fuel cycle scenarios including P and T of long-lived transuranic actinides.

  20. RED-IMPACT. Impact of partitioning, transmutation and waste reduction technologies on the final nuclear waste disposal. Synthesis report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lensa, Werner von; Nabbi, Rahim; Rossbach, Matthias

    2008-01-01

    The impact of partitioning and transmutation (P and T) and waste reduction technologies on the nuclear waste management and particularly on the final disposal has been analysed within the EU-funded RED-IMPACT project. Five representative scenarios, ranging from direct disposal of the spent fuel to fully closed cycles (including minor actinide (MA) recycling) with fast neutron reactors or accelerator-driven systems (ADS), were chosen in the project to cover a wide range of representative waste streams, fuel cycle facilities and process performances. High and intermediate level waste streams have been evaluated for all of these scenarios with the aim of analysing the impact on geological disposal in different host formations such as granite, clay and salt. For each scenario and waste stream, specific waste package forms have been proposed and their main characteristics identified. Both equilibrium and transition analyses have been applied to those scenarios. The performed assessments have addressed parameters such as the total radioactive and radiotoxic inventory, discharges during reprocessing, thermal power and radiation emission of the waste packages, corrosion of matrices, transport of radioisotopes through the engineered and geological barriers or the resulting doses from the repository. The major conclusions of include the fact, that deep geological repository to host the remaining high level waste (HLW) and possibly the long-lived intermediate level waste (ILW) is unavoidable whatever procedure is implemented to manage waste streams from different fuel cycle scenarios including P and T of long-lived transuranic actinides

  1. The high level and long lived radioactive wastes; Les dechets radioactifs a haute activite et a vie longue

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2005-07-01

    This report presents the main conclusions of 15 years of researches managed by the CEA. This report is the preliminary version of the 2005 final report. It presents the main conclusions of the actions on the axis 1 and 3 of the law of the 30 December 1991. The synthesis report on the axis 1 concerns results obtained on the long lived radionuclides separation and transmutation in high level and long lived radioactive wastes. the synthesis report on the axis 3 presents results obtained by the processes of conditioning and of ground and underground long term storage. (A.L.B.)

  2. Framing ethical acceptability: a problem with nuclear waste in Canada.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilding, Ethan T

    2012-06-01

    Ethical frameworks are often used in professional fields as a means of providing explicit ethical guidance for individuals and institutions when confronted with ethically important decisions. The notion of an ethical framework has received little critical attention, however, and the concept subsequently lends itself easily to misuse and ambiguous application. This is the case with the 'ethical framework' offered by Canada's Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO), the crown-corporation which owns and is responsible for the long-term management of Canada's high-level nuclear fuel waste. It makes a very specific claim, namely that it is managing Canada's long-lived radioactive nuclear fuel waste in an ethically responsible manner. According to this organization, what it means to behave in an ethically responsible manner is to act and develop policy in accordance with its ethical framework. What, then, is its ethical framework, and can it be satisfied? In this paper I will show that the NWMO's ethical and social framework is deeply flawed in two respects: (a) it fails to meet the minimum requirements of a code of ethic or ethical framework by offering only questions, and no principles or rules of conduct; and (b) if posed as principles or rules of conduct, some of its questions are unsatisfiable. In particular, I will show that one of its claims, namely that it seek informed consent from individuals exposed to risk of harm from nuclear waste, cannot be satisfied as formulated. The result is that the NWMO's ethical framework is not, at present, ethically acceptable.

  3. Technology transfer on long-term radioactive waste management - a feasible option for small nuclear programmes?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mele, I.; Mathieson, J.

    2007-01-01

    The EU project CATT - Co-operation and technology transfer on long-term radioactive waste management for Member States with small nuclear programmes investigated the feasibility of countries with small nuclear programmes implementing long-term radioactive waste management solutions within their national borders, through collaboration on technology transfer with those countries with advanced disposal concepts. The main project objective was to analyse the existing capabilities of technology owning Member States and the corresponding requirements of potential technology acquiring Member States and, based on the findings, to develop a number of possible collaboration models and scenarios that could be used in a technology transfer scheme. The project CATT was performed as a specific support action under the EU sixth framework programme and it brought together waste management organisations from six EU Member States: UK, Bulgaria, Germany, Lithuania, Slovenia and Sweden. In addition, the EC Joint Research Centre from the Netherlands also participated as a full partner. The paper summarises the analyses performed and the results obtained within the project. (author)

  4. An introduction to nuclear waste immobilisation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ojovan, M.I.; Lee, W.E.

    2005-08-01

    Safety and environmental impact is of uppermost concern when dealing with the movement and storage of nuclear waste. The 20 chapters in this book cover all important aspects of immobilisation, from nuclear decay, to regulations, to new technologies and methods. Significant focus is given to the analysis of the various matrices used in transport: cement, bitumen and glass, with the greatest attention being given to glass. The last chapter concentrates on the performance assessment of each matrix, and on new developments of ceramics and glass composite materials, thermochemical methods and in-situ metal matrix immobilisation. The book thoroughly covers all issues surrounding nuclear waste: from where to locate nuclear waste in the environment, through nuclear waste generation and sources, treatment schemes and technologies, immobilisation technologies and waste forms, disposal and long term behaviour. Particular attention is paid to internationally approved and worldwide-applied approaches and technologies

  5. The Swedish concept for disposal of waste arising from the operation of nuclear power plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Carlsson, J.

    1996-01-01

    The Swedish nuclear power programme consists of 12 reactors producing 50% of the electricity in Sweden. It is stated by law that a waste producer has to make sure a safe handling and disposal of his radioactive waste. SKB is performing necessary activities on behalf of the waste producers. A system is in operation today that will manage all the radioactive waste produced in the country. The system consists of a transportation system, a final repository for operational waste and an interim storage facility for spent fuel. What remains to be built is an encapsulation plant for the spent fuel and a deep repository for final disposal of spent fuel and other long lived waste. All costs for managing and disposal of radioactive waste is paid by the owners of the nuclear power utilities. (author) 9 figs

  6. 1. round table - Spent fuels composition. Back-end of the fuel cycle and reprocessing, plutonium and other nuclear materials management. 2. round table - Separation-transmutation. 3. round table - Scenarios for a long term inventory of nuclear materials and wastes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2005-01-01

    The law from December 30, 1991, precisely defines 3 axes of researches for the management of high level and long-lived radioactive wastes: separation/transmutation, surface storage and underground disposal. A global evaluation report about these researches is to be supplied in 2006 by the French government to the Parliament. A first synthesis of the knowledge gained after 14 years of research has led the national commission of the public debate (CNDP) to organize a national debate about the general options of management of high-level and long-lived radioactive wastes before the 2006 date line. The debate comprises 4 public hearings (September 2005: Bar-le-Duc, Saint-Dizier, Pont-du-Gard, Cherbourg), 12 round-tables (October and November 2005: Paris, Joinville, Caen, Nancy, Marseille), a synthesis meeting (December 2005, Dunkerque) and a closing meeting (January 2006, Lyon). This document is the synthesis of the round table debates which took place at Paris on the reprocessing of spent fuels. Three aspects are discussed: the risks linked with the recovery of valorizable materials, the economical viability of the separation/transmutation option, and the future of the nuclear option in the French energy policy. Six presentations (transparencies) are attached with these proceedings which treat of: the reprocessing/recycling to the test, perspectives of future wastes, present day wastes/valorizable materials and future scenarios, critical analysis scenarios, why reprocessing spent fuels?, processing of spent fuels and recycling, separation and transmutation of long-lived radioactive wastes, thorium-uranium cycle. (J.S.)

  7. Method to Reduce Long-lived Fission Products by Nuclear Transmutations with Fast Spectrum Reactors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chiba, Satoshi; Wakabayashi, Toshio; Tachi, Yoshiaki; Takaki, Naoyuki; Terashima, Atsunori; Okumura, Shin; Yoshida, Tadashi

    2017-10-24

    Transmutation of long-lived fission products (LLFPs: 79 Se, 93 Zr, 99 Tc, 107 Pd, 129 I, and 135 Cs) into short-lived or non-radioactive nuclides by fast neutron spectrum reactors without isotope separation has been proposed as a solution to the problem of radioactive wastes disposal. Despite investigation of many methods, such transmutation remains technologically difficult. To establish an effective and efficient transmutation system, we propose a novel neutron moderator material, yttrium deuteride (YD 2 ), to soften the neutron spectrum leaking from the reactor core. Neutron energy spectra and effective half-lives of LLFPs, transmutation rates, and support ratios were evaluated with the continuous-energy Monte Carlo code MVP-II/MVP-BURN and the JENDL-4.0 cross section library. With the YD 2 moderator in the radial blanket and shield regions, effective half-lives drastically decreased from 106 to 102 years and the support ratios reached 1.0 for all six LLFPs. This successful development and implementation of a transmutation system for LLFPs without isotope separation contributes to a the ability of fast spectrum reactors to reduce radioactive waste by consuming their own LLFPs.

  8. Researches on the management of high activity and long-lived radioactive wastes. Axis 1 - separation-transmutation; Recherches sur la gestion des dechets radioactifs a haute activite et a vie longue. Axe 1 - separation-transmutation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2005-11-15

    This document gathers the transparencies of seven presentations given at a technical workshop of the French nuclear energy society (SFEN) about the researches on separation-transmutation of high activity and long-lived radioactive wastes. The presentations deal with: inventory and radiotoxicity of the rad-wastes in concern; industrial experience; experience on chemical separation: molecules and processes; reactors physics and transmutation - reactors for transmutation; fuels and targets; scenarios that include transmutation; environmental impacts of these different scenarios. (J.S.)

  9. Nuclear wastes: vitrification and long term behaviour. Information available on Internet sites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Macias, R.M.

    2004-01-01

    This document reports an information search on the long-term behaviour of vitrified nuclear wastes. This search has been performed on the Internet and this report presents 21 forms corresponding to the 21 relevant Internet web sites. These forms contain the name of the organization, its country, its Internet address, its language, a brief description of the available information, the concerned public (general public, scholars and students, scientific community)

  10. Nuclear power and radioactive waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Grimston, M.

    1991-03-01

    The gap between the relative perceptions in the area of nuclear waste is wide. The broad view of the industry is that the disposal of nuclear waste is not a serious technical problem, and that solutions are already available to provide safe disposal of all our waste. The broad view of those who oppose the industry is that radioactive waste is so unpleasant, and will remain lethal for so long, that no acceptable policy will ever be developed, and so production of such waste (except, oddly, the significant amounts arising from uses of radioactive materials in medicine, agriculture, industrial safety research, etc) should stop immediately. This booklet will not attempt to describe in great detail the technicalities of the United Kingdom nuclear industry's current approach to radioactive waste: such issues are described in detail in other publications, especially those by Nirex. It is our intention to outline some of the main issues involved, and to associate these issues with the divergence in perceptions of various parties. (author)

  11. Advanced concepts for waste management and nuclear energy production in the EURATOM 5. framework programme

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hugon, M.; Bhatnagar, V.P.; Martin Bermejon, J.

    2002-01-01

    This paper summarises the objectives of the research projects on partitioning and transmutation (P and T) of long-lived radionuclides in nuclear waste and advanced systems for nuclear energy production in the key action on nuclear fission of the EURATOM 5. Framework Programme (FP5) (1998-2002). As these FP5 projects cover the main aspects of P and T, they should provide a basis for evaluating the practicability, on an industrial scale, of P and T for reducing the amount of long-lived radionuclides to be disposed of. Concerning advanced concepts, a cluster of projects is addressing the key technical issues to be solved before implementing high-temperature reactors (HTRs) commercially for energy production. Finally, the European Commissions proposal fora New Framework Programme (2002-2006) is briefly outlined. (authors)

  12. Advanced concepts for waste management and nuclear energy production in the EURATOM fifth framework programme

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hugon, M.; Bhatnagar, V.P.; Martin Bermejo, J.

    2001-01-01

    This paper summarises the objectives of the research projects on Partitioning and Transmutation (P and T) of long lived radionuclides in nuclear waste and advanced systems for nuclear energy production in the key action on nuclear fission of the EURATOM Fifth Framework Programme (FP5) (1998-2002). As these FP5 projects cover the main aspects of P and T, they should provide a basis for evaluating the practicability, on an industrial scale, of P and T for reducing the amount of long lived radionuclides to be disposed of. Concerning advanced concepts, a cluster of projects is addressing the key technical issues to be solved before implementing High Temperature Reactors (HTRs) commercially for energy production. Finally, the European Commission(tm)s proposal for a New Framework Programme (2002-2006) is briefly outlined. (author)

  13. Long-term prediction of corrosion damage in nuclear waste systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hidekazu Asano; Feron, Damien; Gens, Robert; Padovani, Cristiano; Naoki Taniguchi

    2014-01-01

    Complete text of publication follows: The Fifth International Workshop on Long-Term Prediction of Corrosion Damage in Nuclear Waste Systems was held at the Taisetsu Crystal Hall in Asahikawa, Hokkaido, Japan from October 6 to 10, 2013, following the four previous successful workshops (Cadarache, France, 2001; Nice, France, 2004; Pennsylvania State University, USA, 2007 and Bruges, Belgium, 2010). It was organised by the Japan Society of Corrosion Engineering (JSCE) and supported by the European Federation of Corrosion (EFC): Nuclear Corrosion Working Party (WP4) as of EFC event No.360. Furthermore, it was supported by the Division of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Environment (NUCE) of the Atomic Energy Society of Japan (AESJ) and The Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers (JSME). Twenty nine (29) oral presentations were distributed among eleven (11) sessions covering a broad range of subjects. Another twenty eight (28) studies were presented at a poster session. A total of sixty seven (67) participants from twelve (12) countries attended the event. The presentations and the following discussion provided contextual information about the state of some national programmes and covered in detail a range of experimental and modelling studies aimed at evaluating the corrosion behaviour of a range of candidate materials and designs for the storage and disposal of radioactive wastes considered across the globe. These included modelling studies aimed at evaluating the durability of container designs for high level waste (HLW), spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and intermediate level waste (ILW), experimental studies of the corrosion behaviour of copper, carbon steel, and stainless steel in conditions relevant to storage (atmospheric) or disposal (near neutral or alkaline), as well as studies of archaeological artifacts and natural analogues aimed at supporting long-term predictions. Specific sessions were dedicated to microbial induced corrosion (MIC) and to the corrosion properties of

  14. Nuclear transmutation strategies for management of long-lived ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    2015-08-27

    Aug 27, 2015 ... the nuclear fuel (reactor working on uranium as a fuel) are as follows: ... that the management of irradiated waste through safe storage in containers, etc. will be feasible. .... so that the activity will not escape to the environment.

  15. Particle physics contribution to the elimination of nuclear waste

    CERN Document Server

    Revol, Jean Pierre Charles

    2000-01-01

    Progress in particle accelerator technology makes it possible to use a proton accelerator to eliminate nuclear waste efficiently. The Energy Amplifier (EA) proposed by C. Rubbia and his group is a subcritical system driven by a proton accelerator. It is particularly attractive for destroying, through fission, transuranic elements produced by present nuclear reactors. The EA could also transform efficiently and at minimal cost long-lived fission fragments using the concept of Adiabatic Resonance Crossing (ARC) recently tested at CERN with the TARC experiment. The ARC concept can be extended to several other application domains (radioactive isotopes production for medicine and industry, neutron research applications, etc.).

  16. Long-term safety of the maintenance and decommissioning waste of the encapsulation plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nummi, O.; Kylloenen, J.; Eurajoki, T.

    2012-12-01

    This report, Long-term safety of the maintenance and decommissioning waste of the encapsulation plant, presents the disposal concept for the low and intermediate level waste (L/ILW) that is generated during the operation and decommissioning of the encapsulation plant, and assesses the long-term safety of the disposal of the waste. Radioactive waste originates from the spent nuclear fuel transferred and dried in the encapsulation plant. Radioactive waste accumulates also in the maintenance of the components and systems of the encapsulation plant. The waste is collected, exempted from control if possible and treated for final disposal if necessary. The waste is disposed of in the L/ILW hall which is currently planned to be located at a depth of -180 meters along the access tunnel to the repository for spent fuel. The main engineered barrier in the L/ILW hall is a concrete basin that encases the dried liquid waste. The safety concept of L/ILW disposal is based on the slow release of radioactivity from the L/ILW hall and its limited transport through the bedrock into biosphere. The release and transport of the radioactivity is described by the assessment scenarios, which include expected evolution and unlikely events affecting the long-term safety. The scenarios act as guidelines according to which the conceptual and mathematical models are formed. The long-term safety of the L/ILW hall is assessed using deterministic and probabilistic modeling. Special issues such as human intrusion and radiation effects on other biota are also assessed. The most significant contributor to the dose rates is the short-lived radionuclide 90 Sr followed by long-lived nuclides 129 I and 108 mAg. The annual doses to the public, and release rates of radioactive substances stay below the regulatory constraints in all analyzed scenarios. (orig.)

  17. The cross sections of reactions resulting in transmutation of long-lived radionuclides of exhausted nuclear fuel exposed to fast neutrons

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Konodeev, A.Yu.; Korovin, Yu.A.; Erview, K.

    1993-01-01

    Research is at present concerned with the possible transmutation of long-lived radionuclides of spent nuclear fuel in the flux of fast neutrons from neutron generators which are distinguished by their energy spectrum and density of the flux generated. For this purpose one must know the cross sections of the nuclear reactions resulting in the transmutation and formation of new long-lived radionuclides due to the irradiation. The transmutation rate of radioisotope irradiated with neutrons have a known energy spectrum is determined by calculating the transmutation cross section which is equal to the sum of the cross sections of neutron reactions causing conversion of a particular isotope into another after the decay of short-lived residual nuclei. The presently available neutron cross section data of long-lived radionuclides, i.e., the products of the fission of nuclear fuel, are insufficient for research on these effects as transmutations occur in a flux of high-energy neutrons. This paper presents the cross sections of reactions accounting for the transmutation of the most important long-lived radionuclides of exhausted nuclear fuel during its irradiation with neutron having energies of up to 100 MeV. The neutron cross sections were calculated for 79 Se, 90 Sr, 93 Zr, 99 Tc, 107 Pd, 126 Sn, 129 I, 135 Cs and 137 Cs with a half-life ≥30 years

  18. Nuclear engineering questions: power, reprocessing, waste, decontamination, fusion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Walton, R.D. Jr.

    1979-01-01

    This volume contains papers presented at the chemical engineering symposium on nuclear questions. Specific questions addressed by the speakers included: nuclear power - why and how; commercial reprocessing - permanent death or resurrection; long-term management of commercial high-level wastes; long-term management of defense high-level waste; decontamination and decommissioning of nuclear facilities, engineering aspects of laser fusion I; and engineering aspects of laser fusion II. Individual papers have been input to the Energy Data Base previously

  19. Deep repository for long-lived low- and intermediate-level waste. Preliminary safety assessment

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1999-11-01

    A preliminary safety assessment has been performed of a deep repository for long-lived low- and intermediate-level waste, SFL 3-5. The purpose of the study is to investigate the capacity of the facility to act as a barrier to the release of radionuclides and toxic pollutants, and to shed light on the importance of the location of the repository site. A safety assessment (SR 97) of a deep repository for spent fuel has been carried out at the same time. In SR 97, three hypothetical repository sites have been selected for study. These sites exhibit fairly different conditions in terms of hydrogeology, hydrochemistry and ecosystems. To make use of information and data from the SR 97 study, we have assumed that SFL 3-5 is co-sited with the deep repository for spent fuel. A conceivable alternative is to site SFL 3-5 as a completely separate repository. The focus of the SFL 3-5 study is a quantitative analysis of the environmental impact for a reference scenario, while other scenarios are discussed and analyzed in more general terms. Migration in the repository's near- and far-field has been taken into account in the reference scenario. Environmental impact on the three sites has also been calculated. The calculations are based on an updated forecast of the waste to be disposed of in SFL 3-5. The forecast includes radionuclide content, toxic metals and other substances that have a bearing on a safety assessment. The safety assessment shows how important the site is for safety. Two factors stand out as being particularly important: the water flow at the depth in the rock where the repository is built, and the ecosystem in the areas on the ground surface where releases may take place in the future. Another conclusion is that radionuclides that are highly mobile and long-lived, such as {sup 36}Cl and {sup 93}Mo , are important to take into consideration. Their being long-lived means that barriers and the ecosystems must be regarded with a very long time horizon.

  20. Institute for Nuclear Waste Disposal. Annual Report 2011

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Geckeis, H.; Stumpf, T.

    2012-01-01

    The R and D at the Institute for Nuclear Waste Disposal, INE, (Institut fuer Nukleare Entsorgung) of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) focuses on (i) long term safety research for nuclear waste disposal, (ii) immobilization of high level radioactive waste (HLW), (iii) separation of minor actinides from HLW and (iv) radiation protection.

  1. Materials interactions relating to long-term geologic disposal of nuclear waste glass

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bibler, N.E.; Jantzen, C.M.

    1987-01-01

    In the geologic disposal of nuclear waste glass, the glass will eventually interact with groundwater in the repository system. Interactions can also occur between the glass and other waste package materials that are present. These include the steel canister that holds the glass, the metal overpack over the canister, backfill materials that may be used, and the repository host rock. This review paper systematizes the additional interactions that materials in the waste package will impose on the borosilicate glass waste form-groundwater interactions. The repository geologies reviewed are tuff, salt, basalt, and granite. The interactions emphasized are those appropriate to conditions expected after repository closure, e.g. oxic vs anoxic conditions. Whenever possible, the effect of radiation from the waste form on the interactions is examined. The interactions are evaluated based on their effect on the release and speciation of various elements including radionuclides from the glass. It is noted when further tests of repository interactions are needed before long-term predictions can be made. 63 references, 1 table

  2. Nuclear fuels

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gangwani, Saloni; Chakrabortty, Sumita

    2011-01-01

    Nuclear fuel is a material that can be consumed to derive nuclear energy, by analogy to chemical fuel that is burned for energy. Nuclear fuels are the most dense sources of energy available. Nuclear fuel in a nuclear fuel cycle can refer to the fuel itself, or to physical objects (for example bundles composed of fuel rods) composed of the fuel material, mixed with structural, neutron moderating, or neutron reflecting materials. Long-lived radioactive waste from the back end of the fuel cycle is especially relevant when designing a complete waste management plan for SNF. When looking at long-term radioactive decay, the actinides in the SNF have a significant influence due to their characteristically long half-lives. Depending on what a nuclear reactor is fueled with, the actinide composition in the SNF will be different. The following paper will also include the uses. advancements, advantages, disadvantages, various processes and behavior of nuclear fuels

  3. Proceedings of the NEA Workshop on the Management of Non-Nuclear Radioactive Waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zafiropoulos, Demetre; Dilday, Daniel; Siemann, Michael; Ciambrella, Massimo; Lazo, Edward; Sartori, Enrico; ); Dionisi, Mario; Long, Juliet; Nicholson, David; Chambers, Douglas; Garcia Alves, Joao Henrique; McMahon, Ciara; Bruno, Gerard; Fan, Zhiwen; ); Ripani, Marco; Nielsen, Mette; Solente, Nicolas; Templeton, John; Paratore, Angelo; Feinhals, Joerg; Pandolfi, Dana; Sarchiapone, Lucia; Picentino, Bruno; Simms, Helen; Beer, Hans-Frieder; Deryabin, Sergey; Ulrici, Luisa; Bergamaschi, Carlo; Nottestad, Stacy; Anagnostakis, Marios

    2017-05-01

    All NEA member countries, whether or not they have nuclear power plants, are faced with appropriately managing non-nuclear radioactive waste produced through industrial, research and medical activities. Sources of such waste can include national laboratory and university research activities, used and lost industrial gauges and radiography sources, hospital nuclear medicine activities and in some circumstances, naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM) activities. Although many of these wastes are not long-lived, the shear variety of sources makes it difficult to generically assess their physical (e.g. volume, chemical form, mixed waste) or radiological (e.g. activity, half-life, concentration) characteristics. Additionally, the source-specific nature of these wastes poses questions and challenges to their regulatory and practical management at a national level. This had generated interest from both the radiological protection and radioactive waste management communities, and prompted the Committee on Radiological Protection and Public Health (CRPPH) to organise, in collaboration with the Radioactive Waste Management Committee (RWMC), a workshop tackling some of the key issues of this challenging topic. The key objectives of the NEA Workshop on the Management of Non-Nuclear Radioactive Waste were to address the particularities of managing non-nuclear waste in all its sources and forms and to share and exchange national experiences. Presentations and discussions addressed both technical aspects and national frameworks. Technical aspects included: - the range of non-nuclear waste sources, activities, volumes and other relevant characteristics; - waste storage and repository capacities and life cycles; - safety considerations for mixed wastes management; - human resources and knowledge management; - legal, regulatory and financial assurance, and liability issues. Taking into account the entire non-nuclear waste life-cycle, the workshop covered planning and

  4. RDandD Programme 2010. Programme for research, development and demonstration of methods for the management and disposal of nuclear waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2010-09-01

    RDandD Programme 2010 presents SKB's plans for research, development and demonstration during the period 2011-2016. SKB's activities are divided into two main areas: the programme for low- and intermediate-level waste (the LILW Programme) and the Nuclear Fuel Programme. Operation of the existing facilities takes place within the Operational Process. RDandD Programme 2010 consists of five parts: Part I Overall plan of action Part II The LILW Programme Part III The Nuclear Fuel Programme Part IV Research for assessment of long-term safety Part V Social science research RDandD Programme 2007 was mainly focused on development of technology to realize the final repository for spent nuclear fuel. The efforts described were aimed at gaining a greater knowledge of long-term safety and compiling technical supporting documentation for applications under the Nuclear Activities Act for the final repository for spent nuclear fuel and under the Environmental Code for the final repository system. Many important results from these efforts are reported in this programme. The integrated account of the results will be presented in applications submitted in early 2011. The regulatory review of RDandD Programme 2007 and its supplement called for clarifications of plans and programmes for the final repository for short-lived radioactive waste, SFR, and the final repository for long-lived waste, SFL. This RDandD Programme describes these plans more clearly

  5. RDandD Programme 2010. Programme for research, development and demonstration of methods for the management and disposal of nuclear waste

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    2010-09-15

    RDandD Programme 2010 presents SKB's plans for research, development and demonstration during the period 2011-2016. SKB's activities are divided into two main areas: the programme for low- and intermediate-level waste (the LILW Programme) and the Nuclear Fuel Programme. Operation of the existing facilities takes place within the Operational Process. RDandD Programme 2010 consists of five parts: Part I Overall plan of action Part II The LILW Programme Part III The Nuclear Fuel Programme Part IV Research for assessment of long-term safety Part V Social science research RDandD Programme 2007 was mainly focused on development of technology to realize the final repository for spent nuclear fuel. The efforts described were aimed at gaining a greater knowledge of long-term safety and compiling technical supporting documentation for applications under the Nuclear Activities Act for the final repository for spent nuclear fuel and under the Environmental Code for the final repository system. Many important results from these efforts are reported in this programme. The integrated account of the results will be presented in applications submitted in early 2011. The regulatory review of RDandD Programme 2007 and its supplement called for clarifications of plans and programmes for the final repository for short-lived radioactive waste, SFR, and the final repository for long-lived waste, SFL. This RDandD Programme describes these plans more clearly

  6. RDandD Programme 2010. Programme for research, development and demonstration of methods for the management and disposal of nuclear waste

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    2010-09-15

    RDandD Programme 2010 presents SKB's plans for research, development and demonstration during the period 2011-2016. SKB's activities are divided into two main areas: the programme for low- and intermediate-level waste (the LILW Programme) and the Nuclear Fuel Programme. Operation of the existing facilities takes place within the Operational Process. RDandD Programme 2010 consists of five parts: Part I Overall plan of action Part II The LILW Programme Part III The Nuclear Fuel Programme Part IV Research for assessment of long-term safety Part V Social science research RDandD Programme 2007 was mainly focused on development of technology to realize the final repository for spent nuclear fuel. The efforts described were aimed at gaining a greater knowledge of long-term safety and compiling technical supporting documentation for applications under the Nuclear Activities Act for the final repository for spent nuclear fuel and under the Environmental Code for the final repository system. Many important results from these efforts are reported in this programme. The integrated account of the results will be presented in applications submitted in early 2011. The regulatory review of RDandD Programme 2007 and its supplement called for clarifications of plans and programmes for the final repository for short-lived radioactive waste, SFR, and the final repository for long-lived waste, SFL. This RDandD Programme describes these plans more clearly

  7. The puzzle of nuclear wastes. Radioactive threat to your health..

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2007-01-01

    This document, published by the French association 'Sortir du nucleaire' (Get out of nuclear), gives some information on what is radioactivity, the radioactive materials as a risk for living organisms, nuclear wastes all over France (list and map of the storage sites, power plants and fuel cycle centers), nuclear wastes at every step of the nuclear connection, the insolvable problem of high activity wastes, burying nuclear wastes in order to better forget them, radioactivity as a time bomb for our health, radioactive effluents as an under-estimated risk, artificial radioactivity already responsible for the death of 61 million people in the world, and so on

  8. Deep disposal of long-lived radioactive waste in France: The volunteering approach in site selection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Raynal, M.; Barber, P.

    1995-01-01

    The French Waste Act of December 1991 set up important dispositions among which the deep disposal of long-lived waste should be evaluated before 2006. ANDRA, the French National Agency for Radioactive Waste Management, is particularly responsible for the siting, the construction and the operation of underground laboratories designed to study potential geologic host-formations for deep disposal. An open decision-making process started up in 1992, specially to restore the public confidence after strong contest in the early 1990. The mission of negotiation conducted in 1993 all over the country by the appointed Member of Parliament, Mr. Bataille, allowed volunteer candidates for the siting surveyed by ANDRA in 1994 and 1995. Four areas are presently under characterization investigations, proceeding with the first phase of the underground laboratory program with the objective of choosing two sites for two underground laboratories. France is now entering a new and very important phase on the long path towards the creation of an underground repository where public's understanding and acceptance is an important part of the overall process as it is shown in this paper

  9. Disposition of nuclear waste using subcritical accelerator-driven systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Venneri, F.; Li, N.; Williamson, M.; Houts, M.; Lawrence, G.

    1998-01-01

    Studies have shown that the repository long-term radiological risk is from the long-lived transuranics and the fission products Tc-99 and I-129, thermal loading concerns arise mainly form the short-lived fission products Sr-90 and Cs-137. In relation to the disposition of nuclear waste, ATW is expected to accomplish the following: (1) destroy over 99.9% of the actinides; (2) destroy over 99.9% of the Tc and I; (3) separate Sr and Cs (short half-life isotopes); (4) separate uranium; (5) produce electricity. In the ATW concept, spent fuel would be shipped to a ATW site where the plutonium, other transuranics and selected long-lived fission products would be destroyed by fission or transmutation in their only pass through the facility. This approach contrasts with the present-day reprocessing practices in Europe and Japan, during which high purity plutonium is produced and used in the fabrication of fresh mixed-oxide fuel (MOX) that is shipped off-site for use in light water reactors

  10. Disposal of high level and long lived radioactive waste in deep geological formation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Niezborala, J.M.; Hoorelbeke, J.M.

    2000-01-01

    The status of ANDRA's research program on high level and long lived waste corresponds to the start of construction of the Meuse/Haute-Marne Underground Research Laboratory in an argillite layer, as well as to the selection in 1999 of preliminary disposal concepts corresponding to this layer. The paper describes the preliminary concepts dealing with transuranic waste, high level vitrified waste and potentially disposed spent fuel. Provision is made for a high level of flexibility, in particular with regard to options of reversibility of the disposal process, and to potential evolutions of the waste inventory. These concepts were selected for research purpose to assess by the year 2006 the feasibility of a potential repository, with.respect in particular to safety rules. The paper mentions the research targets of the program aiming at answering major scientific and technological questions raised by the concepts. The program includes the fitting and validation of the modelling, on the basis in particular of the experimental work to be carried out in the Underground Research Laboratory, making it possible to dimension the disposal concepts and to assess their safety. (authors)

  11. Safety Aspects of Nuclear Waste Treatment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Glubrecht, H.

    1986-01-01

    In the nuclear fuel cycle - like in most other industrial processes - some waste is produced which can be harmful to the environment and has to be stored safely and isolated from the Biosphere. This radioactive waste can be compared with toxic chemical waste under many aspects, but it has some special features, some of which make its handling more difficult, others make it easier. The difficulties are that radioactive waste does not only affect living organisms after incorporation, but also from some distance through its radiation. Therefore this waste has not only to be encapsuled, but also shielded. At higher concentrations radioactive waste produces heat and this has to be continuously derived from the storage area. On the other hand the control of even extremely small amounts of radioactive waste is very much easier than that of toxic chemical waste due to the high sensitivity of radiation detection methods. Furthermore radioactive waste is not persistent like most of the chemical waste. Of course some components will decay only after millennia, but a high percentage of radioactive waste becomes inactive after days, weeks or years. An important feature of safety aspects related to nuclear waste is the fact that problems of its treatment and storage have been discussed from the very beginning of Nuclear Energy Technology - what has not been the case in relation to most other industrial wastes

  12. The possible transmutation of radioactive waste from nuclear reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Harries, J.R.

    1974-01-01

    A nuclear reactor power program produces high level and long lived radioactive wastes. The high level activity is associated with fission products, but beyond 400 years the principal waste hazard is from transuranic elements produced in the reactor. Several schemes have been proposed for the transmutation of the problem isotopes into more easily handled isotopes. The neutron flux in a thermal reactor is not high enough to significantly reduce the longer lived fission product isotopes 90 Sr and 132 Gs, but the transuranic elements can be reduced by recycling through power reactors. The limitation on recycling of the transuranic elements is the separation process to remove trace quantities from the waste stream. In fast reactors the transuranic elements are the principal fuel and fast reactor waste contains only half as much 90 Sr as thermal reactors. However, the overall waste hazard is similar to thermal reactors. A sufficiently intense neutron flux for fission product transmutation could perhaps be produced by a spallation reactor driven by a proton linear accelerator or a controlled thermonuclear reactor. However, both concepts are still some years in the future. Transmutation by accelerator sources of protons, electrons of gammas tend to require more energy than neutron transmutation. (author)

  13. Ethical aspects on Nuclear Waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Persson, Lars

    1989-01-01

    In an ethical assessment of how we shall deal with nuclear waste, one of the chief questions that arises is how to initiate action while at the same time taking into consideration uncertainties which are unavoidable seen from a long-term perspective. By means of different formulation and by proceeding from various starting-points, a two edged objective is established vis-a-vis repository facilities: safety in operation combined with reparability, with controls not necessary, but not impossible. Prerequisites for the realization of this objective are the continued advancement of knowledge and refinement of the qualifications required to deal with nuclear waste. The ethical considerations above could be the bases for the future legislation in the field of nuclear energy waste. (author)

  14. Researches on nuclear wastes. Knowledge gained and perspectives at the 2006 date line

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2006-01-01

    The law from December 30, 1991, precisely defines 3 axes of researches for the management of high level and long-lived radioactive wastes: separation/transmutation, surface storage and underground disposal. A global evaluation report about these researches is to be supplied in 2006 by the French government to the Parliament. The responsibility of these researches is given to the French atomic energy commission (CEA) and to the national agency for radioactive wastes (ANDRA) who have to coordinate their works with other research organizations and industrialists. The aim of this colloquium is to make a status of the scientific knowledge gained before the implementation of the public and parliamentary debates on nuclear wastes management. This document gathers the presentations (slides) given at the colloquium and dealing with: separation/transmutation, storage and conditioning of waste packages; geologic disposal, the inter-disciplinary PACE program of the CNRS; synthesis of the researches evaluation process; general principles for a sustainable management of radioactive wastes; technical experience implemented by industrialists since 15 years; point of view of the nuclear safety authority; international context of nuclear waste management and related researches; a sociological enlightening: researches advance as seen by the public. (J.S.)

  15. The stakes in managing radioactive wastes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boissier, F.

    2012-01-01

    Like any human activity, the nuclear industry produces wastes. The wastes containing radioactive substances have to be managed as a function of the related risks. Nowadays, 1.300.000 tons of radioactive wastes have accumulated in France. More than 90% of them have short half-lives and are stored on the ground by ANDRA (national agency for the management of radioactive wastes) on 2 sites in the Aube district. ANDRA also designs solutions for stocking the other wastes. Those with long half-lives and very high activity will be stored deep underground (500 meter deep) at Cigeo in the Meuse and Haute-Marne districts. The wastes with long half-lives but low activity (less than 10 5 decays/s for graphite and less than a few thousands decays/s for radium contaminated wastes) will be disposed in a specific way. Implementing a storage solution for each type of waste is necessary for the nuclear industry's sustainability, but it does not dispense the latter from pursuing its efforts to reduce the quantity and danger of the wastes produced. This holds in particular for the so-called 'fourth generation' of future installations. It is important to take stock of all the issues related to managing nuclear wastes

  16. Design of an accelerator-driven system for the destruction of nuclear waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kadi, Y.; Revol, J.P.

    2003-01-01

    Progress in particle accelerator technology makes it possible to use a proton accelerator to produce energy and to destroy nuclear waste efficiently. The Energy Amplifier (EA) proposed by Carlo Rubbia and his group is a sub-critical fast neutron system driven by a proton accelerator. It is particularly attractive for destroying, through fission, transuranic elements produced by present nuclear reactors. The EA could also transform efficiently and at minimal cost long-lived fission fragments using the concept of Adiabatic Resonance Crossing (ARC) recently tested at CERN with the TARC experiment. (author)

  17. Who wants nuclear waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fernie, John; Openshaw, Stanley

    1986-01-01

    The criteria involved in selecting sites for disposal of low and short-lived intermediate-level radioactive wastes are explained. The wastes and the sources are identified and the current procedure for their disposal, at Drigg, next to the Sellafield reprocessing plant, is given. If alternative sites could be found for non-Sellafield-produced wastes the lifetime of the Drigg site could be extended. The sites chosen by NIREX (Nuclear Industry Radioactive Waste Executive) have to be cost effective. Indeed, those identified are conveniently situated and would not incur excessive transport costs. However, more remote sites may have to be chosen, even at greater transport cost, because of public protests. Even this may not be satisfactory because the transportation itself incurs risks. (UK)

  18. Natural analogues of nuclear waste glass corrosion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abrajano, T.A. Jr.; Ebert, W.L.; Luo, J.S.

    1999-01-01

    This report reviews and summarizes studies performed to characterize the products and processes involved in the corrosion of natural glasses. Studies are also reviewed and evaluated on how well the corrosion of natural glasses in natural environments serves as an analogue for the corrosion of high-level radioactive waste glasses in an engineered geologic disposal system. A wide range of natural and experimental corrosion studies has been performed on three major groups of natural glasses: tektite, obsidian, and basalt. Studies of the corrosion of natural glass attempt to characterize both the nature of alteration products and the reaction kinetics. Information available on natural glass was then compared to corresponding information on the corrosion of nuclear waste glasses, specifically to resolve two key questions: (1) whether one or more natural glasses behave similarly to nuclear waste glasses in laboratory tests, and (2) how these similarities can be used to support projections of the long-term corrosion of nuclear waste glasses. The corrosion behavior of basaltic glasses was most similar to that of nuclear waste glasses, but the corrosion of tektite and obsidian glasses involves certain processes that also occur during the corrosion of nuclear waste glasses. The reactions and processes that control basalt glass dissolution are similar to those that are important in nuclear waste glass dissolution. The key reaction of the overall corrosion mechanism is network hydrolysis, which eventually breaks down the glass network structure that remains after the initial ion-exchange and diffusion processes. This review also highlights some unresolved issues related to the application of an analogue approach to predicting long-term behavior of nuclear waste glass corrosion, such as discrepancies between experimental and field-based estimates of kinetic parameters for basaltic glasses

  19. Natural analogues of nuclear waste glass corrosion.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Abrajano, T.A. Jr.; Ebert, W.L.; Luo, J.S.

    1999-01-06

    This report reviews and summarizes studies performed to characterize the products and processes involved in the corrosion of natural glasses. Studies are also reviewed and evaluated on how well the corrosion of natural glasses in natural environments serves as an analogue for the corrosion of high-level radioactive waste glasses in an engineered geologic disposal system. A wide range of natural and experimental corrosion studies has been performed on three major groups of natural glasses: tektite, obsidian, and basalt. Studies of the corrosion of natural glass attempt to characterize both the nature of alteration products and the reaction kinetics. Information available on natural glass was then compared to corresponding information on the corrosion of nuclear waste glasses, specifically to resolve two key questions: (1) whether one or more natural glasses behave similarly to nuclear waste glasses in laboratory tests, and (2) how these similarities can be used to support projections of the long-term corrosion of nuclear waste glasses. The corrosion behavior of basaltic glasses was most similar to that of nuclear waste glasses, but the corrosion of tektite and obsidian glasses involves certain processes that also occur during the corrosion of nuclear waste glasses. The reactions and processes that control basalt glass dissolution are similar to those that are important in nuclear waste glass dissolution. The key reaction of the overall corrosion mechanism is network hydrolysis, which eventually breaks down the glass network structure that remains after the initial ion-exchange and diffusion processes. This review also highlights some unresolved issues related to the application of an analogue approach to predicting long-term behavior of nuclear waste glass corrosion, such as discrepancies between experimental and field-based estimates of kinetic parameters for basaltic glasses.

  20. Factors influencing chemical durability of nuclear waste glasses

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Feng, Xiangdong; Bates, J.K.

    1993-01-01

    A short summary is given of our studies on the major factors that affect the chemical durability of nuclear waste glasses. These factors include glass composition, solution composition, SA/V (ratio of glass surface area to the volume of solution), radiation, and colloidal formation. These investigations have enabled us to gain a better understanding of the chemical durability of nuclear waste glasses and to accumulate.a data base for modeling the long-term durability of waste glass, which will be used in the risk assessment of nuclear waste disposal. This knowledge gained also enhances our ability to formulate optimal waste glass compositions

  1. An initial study of the behaviour under repository conditions of inactive components of nuclear wastes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Biddle, P.; Rees, J.H.

    1988-02-01

    This review extends the appreciation of repository behaviour to include the inactive components of wastes and their degradation products. These materials include a wide range of metals and organics, sludges and decommissioning wastes. The effect of degradation products on the solubility of long-lived radionuclides and any active daughters and their sorption on surfaces of the repository are assessed. Research requirements are identified that may help to improve significantly the assessment of the effects of inactive materials. Data required to improve the quality of inventory data on nuclear wastes are listed. (author)

  2. Nuclear Waste Management, Nuclear Power, and Energy Choices Public Preferences, Perceptions, and Trust

    CERN Document Server

    Greenberg, Michael

    2013-01-01

    Hundreds of studies have investigated public perceptions and preferences about nuclear power, waste management, and technology. However there is clear lack of uniformity in the style, aims and methods applied.  Consequently, the body of results is inconsistent and it is difficult to isolate relevant patterns or interpretations. Nuclear Waste Management, Nuclear Power and Energy Choices: Public Preferences, Perceptions and Trust presents a theoretical base for public reactions then classifies and reviews the large body of surveys carried out over the past decade.   Particular focus is placed on residents within 50 miles US nuclear waste facilities due to the disproportionate presence of nuclear factors in their lives such as the legacy of nuclear waste disposal and job dependency. The motivations and reasons for their views such as fear, attraction to the economic benefits, trust of site managers and federal agencies, cultural views, personal history, and demographic attributes of the people are also conside...

  3. Institute of Energy and Climate Research IEK-6. Nuclear Waste Management report 2011/2012. Material science for nuclear waste management

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Klinkenberg, M.; Neumeier, S.; Bosbach, D.

    2013-01-01

    The nuclear waste management section of the Institute of Energy and Climate Research IEK-6 in Juelich is focused on research on radiochemistry aspects/materials science relevant for the long-term safety of nuclear waste storage and disposal. Studies on innovative waste management strategies include partitioning o actinides and the development of ceramic waste forms. Structural research is covering solid state chemistry, crystallography and computational science to model actinide containing compounds. With respect to waste management concepts nondestructive essay techniques, waste treatment procedures and product quality control strategies were developed.

  4. Nuclear Waste Separation and Transmutation Research with Special Focus on Russian Transmutation Projects Sponsored by ISTC

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Conde, Henri; Blomgren, Jan; Olsson, Nils

    2003-03-01

    High-level nuclear reactor waste is made up of relatively few long-lived radioactive species, among them plutonium, that contribute to difficulties with its storage and disposal. Separation of these species from larger waste volumes mainly constituting of uranium (about 95 %) coupled with nuclear incineration to fission products of plutonium and the so called minor actinides (Neptunium, Americium, and Curium) and transmutation of some of the long lived fission products to short lived or stable isotopes represents a viable nuclear waste management strategy to drastically reduce the time and space requirements for a bed-rock repository of the remaining waste. A remarkable increase in the international research and development on partitioning and transmutation has occurred during the recent years. The road-map report published in April 2001 by The European Technical Working Group on ADS for the development of a European demonstration facility for nuclear waste transmutation has high-lighted the ongoing European research and pointed out the need for further research. The road-map has given the different research activities a position in the ultimate goal of producing an ADS demonstrator and is guiding research planning on the national as well as on the EU level. The Advanced Accelerator Application (3A) program in the US, with the long term goals to enhance long term public safety, provide benefits for the repository, reduce proliferation risks and improve prospects for nuclear power has focused the research on nuclear waste transmutation. The reports on the 3A program indicates a change of the US former abandonment position towards reprocessing and fast reactors due to a strong incentive to eliminate the reactor plutonium and to lower the amount of high level reactor waste for the Yucca Mountain repository. The SKB's proposed research and development program for the next 3 years (FUD01) was presented by SKB in September 2001. It is proposed that the research program

  5. OCRWM International Cooperation in Nuclear Waste Management

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jackson, R.; Levich, R.; Strahl, J.

    2002-01-01

    With the implementation of nuclear power as a major energy source, the United States is increasingly faced with the challenges of safely managing its inventory of spent nuclear materials. In 2002, with 438 nuclear power facilities generating electrical energy in 31 nations around the world, the management of radioactive material including spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste, is an international concern. Most of the world's nuclear nations maintain radioactive waste management programs and have generally accepted deep geologic repositories as the long-term solution for disposal of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste. Similarly, the United States is evaluating the feasibility of deep geologic disposal at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. This project is directed by the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM), which has responsibility for managing the disposition of spent nuclear fuel produced by commercial nuclear power facilities along with U.S. government-owned spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste. Much of the world class science conducted through the OCRWM program was enhanced through collaboration with other nations and international organizations focused on resolving issues associated with the disposition of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste

  6. Long-term high-level waste technology program

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1980-04-01

    The Department of Energy (DOE) is conducting a comprehensive program to isolate all US nuclear wastes from the human environment. The DOE Office of Nuclear Energy - Waste (NEW) has full responsibility for managing the high-level wastes resulting from defense activities and additional responsiblity for providing the technology to manage existing commercial high-level wastes and any that may be generated in one of several alternative fuel cycles. Responsibilities of the Three Divisions of DOE-NEW are shown. This strategy document presents the research and development plan of the Division of Waste Products for long-term immobilization of the high-level radioactive wastes resulting from chemical processing of nuclear reactor fuels and targets. These high-level wastes contain more than 99% of the residual radionuclides produced in the fuels and targets during reactor operations. They include essentially all the fission products and most of the actinides that were not recovered for use

  7. Glasses and nuclear waste vitrification

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ojovan, Michael I.

    2012-01-01

    Glass is an amorphous solid material which behaves like an isotropic crystal. Atomic structure of glass lacks long-range order but possesses short and most probably medium range order. Compared to crystalline materials of the same composition glasses are metastable materials however crystallisation processes are kinetically impeded within times which typically exceed the age of universe. The physical and chemical durability of glasses combined with their high tolerance to compositional changes makes glasses irreplaceable when hazardous waste needs immobilisation for safe long-term storage, transportation and consequent disposal. Immobilisation of radioactive waste in glassy materials using vitrification has been used successfully for several decades. Nuclear waste vitrification is attractive because of its flexibility, the large number of elements which can be incorporated in the glass, its high corrosion durability and the reduced volume of the resulting wasteform. Vitrification involves melting of waste materials with glass-forming additives so that the final vitreous product incorporates the waste contaminants in its macro- and micro-structure. Hazardous waste constituents are immobilised either by direct incorporation into the glass structure or by encapsulation when the final glassy material can be in form of a glass composite material. Both borosilicate and phosphate glasses are currently used to immobilise nuclear wastes. In addition to relatively homogeneous glasses novel glass composite materials are used to immobilise problematic waste streams. (author)

  8. Nuclear fuel waste disposal

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Merrett, G.J.; Gillespie, P.A.

    1983-07-01

    This report discusses events and processes that could adversely affect the long-term stability of a nuclear fuel waste disposal vault or the regions of the geosphere and the biosphere to which radionuclides might migrate from such a vault

  9. Reversing nuclear opposition: evolving public acceptance of a permanent nuclear waste disposal facility.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jenkins-Smith, Hank C; Silva, Carol L; Nowlin, Matthew C; deLozier, Grant

    2011-04-01

    Nuclear facilities have long been seen as the top of the list of locally unwanted land uses (LULUs), with nuclear waste repositories generating the greatest opposition. Focusing on the case of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in southern New Mexico, we test competing hypotheses concerning the sources of opposition and support for siting the facility, including demographics, proximity, political ideology, and partisanship, and the unfolding policy process over time. This study tracks the changes of risk perception and acceptance of WIPP over a decade, using measures taken from 35 statewide surveys of New Mexico citizens spanning an 11-year period from fall 1990 to summer 2001. This time span includes periods before and after WIPP became operational. We find that acceptance of WIPP is greater among those whose residences are closest to the WIPP facility. Surprisingly, and contrary to expectations drawn from the broader literature, acceptance is also greater among those who live closest to the nuclear waste transportation route. We also find that ideology, partisanship, government approval, and broader environmental concerns influence support for WIPP acceptance. Finally, the sequence of procedural steps taken toward formal approval of WIPP by government agencies proved to be important to gaining public acceptance, the most significant being the opening of the WIPP facility itself. © 2010 Society for Risk Analysis.

  10. The present situation of nuclear wastes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Courtois, Charles

    2012-01-01

    This Power Point presentation contains graphs, tables and comments on different aspects of nuclear wastes: origin in France (fuel composition, long-life and short life wastes), definition of the different types of wastes (with respect to their life and their activity level), fuel cycle (processing of the different wastes, actors in France, waste management), waste characterization (controls, tests), laws on wastes published in 1991 (objectives with respect to separation and transmutation technologies, to storage possibilities, to conditioning and long term storage) and in 2006 (which defines a national plan for radioactive material and waste management, and a research program), the French national inventory, low activity wastes (production and storage), the transmutation technology (notably the Astrid project), the geological storage (the Cigeo project for a geological storage), and the situation in other countries

  11. Six Decades of Nuclear Accidents, Nuclear Compensation, and Issues of Radioactive Waste Management

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boonsuwan, P.; Songjakkeaw, A.

    2011-11-01

    long half-lives, must also be addressed. The current waste management technology points towards storing such waste inside a deep geological depository. However, such a method is highly criticized if the integrity of the depository can be maintained after thousands of years. If Thailand does aim towards completing the nuclear power programme in the future, Thailand must find a practical and appropriate mean to manage the waste before all else.

  12. Significance of actinide chemistry for the long-term safety of waste disposal

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Jae Il

    2006-01-01

    A geochemical approach to the long-term safety of waste disposal is discussed in connection with the significance of actinides, which shall deliver the major radioactivity inventory subsequent to the relatively short-term decay of fission products. Every power reactor generates transuranic (TRU) elements: plutonium and minor actinides (Np, Am, Cm), which consist chiefly of long-lived nuclides emitting alpha radiation. The amount of TRU actinides generated in a fuel life period is found to be relatively small (about 1 wt% or less in spent fuel) but their radioactivity persists many hundred thousands years. Geological confinement of waste containing TRU actinides demands, as a result, fundamental knowledge on the geochemical behavior of actinides in the repository environment for a long period of time. Appraisal of the scientific progress in this subject area is the main objective of the present paper. Following the introductory discussion on natural radioactivities, the nuclear fuel cycle is briefly brought up with reference to actinide generation and waste disposal. As the long-term disposal safety concerns inevitably with actinides, the significance of the aquatic actinide chemistry is summarized in two parts: the fundamental properties relevant to their aquatic behavior and the geochemical reactions in nanoscopic scale. The constrained space of writing allows discussion on some examples only, for which topics of the primary concern are selected, e.g. apparent solubility and colloid generation, colloid-facilitated migration, notable speciation of such processes, etc. Discussion is summed up to end with how to make a geochemical approach available for the long-term disposal safety of nuclear waste or for the Performance Assessment (PA) as known generally

  13. Scientific Solutions to Nuclear Waste Environmental Challenges

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Johnson, Bradley R.

    2014-01-01

    The Hidden Cost of Nuclear Weapons The Cold War arms race drove an intense plutonium production program in the U.S. This campaign produced approximately 100 tons of plutonium over 40 years. The epicenter of plutonium production in the United States was the Hanford site, a 586 square mile reservation owned by the Department of Energy and located on the Colombia River in Southeastern Washington. Plutonium synthesis relied on nuclear reactors to convert uranium to plutonium within the reactor fuel rods. After a sufficient amount of conversion occurred, the rods were removed from the reactor and allowed to cool. They were then dissolved in an acid bath and chemically processed to separate and purify plutonium from the rest of the constituents in the used reactor fuel. The acidic waste was then neutralized using sodium hydroxide and the resulting mixture of liquids and precipitates (small insoluble particles) was stored in huge underground waste tanks. The byproducts of the U.S. plutonium production campaign include over 53 million gallons of high-level radioactive waste stored in 177 large underground tanks at Hanford and another 34 million gallons stored at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina. This legacy nuclear waste represents one of the largest environmental clean-up challenges facing the world today. The nuclear waste in the Hanford tanks is a mixture of liquids and precipitates that have settled into sludge. Some of these tanks are now over 60 years old and a small number of them are leaking radioactive waste into the ground and contaminating the environment. The solution to this nuclear waste challenge is to convert the mixture of solids and liquids into a durable material that won't disperse into the environment and create hazards to the biosphere. What makes this difficult is the fact that the radioactive half-lives of some of the radionuclides in the waste are thousands to millions of years long. (The half-life of a radioactive substance is the amount

  14. Application of gaseous core reactors for transmutation of nuclear waste

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schnitzler, B. G.; Paternoster, R. R.; Schneider, R. T.

    1976-01-01

    An acceptable management scheme for high-level radioactive waste is vital to the nuclear industry. The hazard potential of the trans-uranic actinides and of key fission products is high due to their nuclear activity and/or chemical toxicity. Of particular concern are the very long-lived nuclides whose hazard potential remains high for hundreds of thousands of years. Neutron induced transmutation offers a promising technique for the treatment of problem wastes. Transmutation is unique as a waste management scheme in that it offers the potential for "destruction" of the hazardous nuclides by conversion to non-hazardous or more manageable nuclides. The transmutation potential of a thermal spectrum uranium hexafluoride fueled cavity reactor was examined. Initial studies focused on a heavy water moderated cavity reactor fueled with 5% enriched U-235-F6 and operating with an average thermal flux of 6 times 10 to the 14th power neutrons/sq cm-sec. The isotopes considered for transmutation were I-129, Am-241, Am-242m, Am-243, Cm-243, Cm-244, Cm-245, and Cm-246.

  15. Nuclear waste transmutation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Salvatores, M.; Zaetta, A.; Delpech, M.; Girard, C.; Slessarev, I.; Tommasi, J.

    1994-01-01

    A deep repository for safe long-term storage of long-lived radioactive materials (waste) arising from nuclear fuel irradiation in reactors is a need generally accepted, whatever the strategy envisaged for further use of the irradiated fuel (e.g.: reprocessing and re-use of uranium and plutonium; no reprocessing and final disposal). To assess the impact on the environment of a waste repository, one is lead naturally to consider the impact of radiation on man and to define the radiotoxicity of the different isotopes. The toxicity of the materials stored in a repository is function of time and at a given time is the sum of the activities of each radionuclide multiplied by appropriate danger coefficients. This time dependent sum R, is a source of 'potential' radiotoxicity. It has been pointed out (in reference 1), that R does not measure 'risk', which has to take into account 'actual pathways and probability of radioactive release to the biosphere'. It is well understood that (e.g. in the case of spent PWR fuel) the main contributor to R are actinides, Pu being the main component (see table I). In the case of risk, the situation is by far more complex and dependent on the modeling of different geological environments. In the analysis made in reference 1 the predominant role of Tc-99, I-129 and Cs-135 has been pointed out. The same analysis also stresses that actinides will be by far less relevant with respect to the highly soluble and mobile fission products. (authors). 13 refs., 2 tabs., 2 figs

  16. Managing the nation's nuclear waste. Overview: Nuclear Waste Policy Act

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1985-10-01

    Signed into law by the President on January 7, 1983, the Nuclear Waste Policy Act established a national policy for safely storing, transporting, and disposing of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste. This overview presents the following information on the Nuclear Waste Policy Act: (1) background; (2) permanent repository; (3) siting guidelines and mission plan; (4) monitored retrievable storage; and (5) nuclear waste funds. (DT)

  17. Public debate on the general options relative to the management of high-medium activity and long-lived radioactive wastes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2005-09-01

    The law from December 30, 1991, precisely defines 3 axes of researches for the management of high level and long-lived radioactive wastes: separation/transmutation, surface storage and underground disposal. A global evaluation report about these researches is to be supplied in 2006 by the French government to the Parliament. A first synthesis of the knowledge gained after 14 years of research has led the national commission of the public debate (CNDP) to organize a national debate about the general options of management of high-level and long-lived radioactive wastes before the 2006 date line. This document presents the organizational aspects of the debate: origin, organization committee (mission, members, commitments), framework (the December 31, 1991 law, technical enlargement, society aspects), topics (summary of the debate in ten questions), organization modalities (4 main steps, schedule, venues), objectives and perspectives (sharing information, decision making processes to be implemented by 2006). (J.S.)

  18. Key Performance Criteria Affecting the Most the Safety of a Nuclear Waste Long Term Storage : A Case Study Commissioned by CEA

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Marvy, A.; Lioure, A; Heriard-Dubreuil, G.; Gadbois, S.; Schneider, T.; Schieber, C.

    2003-02-24

    As part of the work scope set in the French law on high level long lived waste R&D passed in 1991, CEA is conducting a research program to establish the scientific basis and assess the feasibility of long term storage as an option for the safe management of nuclear waste for periods as long as centuries. This goal is a significant departure from the current industrial practice where storage facilities are usually built to last only a few decades. From a technical viewpoint such an extension in time seems feasible provided care and maintenance is exercised. Considering such long periods of time, the risk for Society of loosing oversight and control of such a facility is real, which triggers the question of whether and how long term storage safety can be actually achieved. Therefore CEA commissioned a study (1) in which MUTADIS Consultants (2) and CEPN (3) were both involved. The case study looks into several past and actual human enterprises conducted over significant periods o f time, one of them dating back to the end of the 18th century, and all identified out of the nuclear field. Then-prevailing societal behavior and organizational structures are screened out to show how they were or are still able to cope with similar oversight and control goals. As a result, the study group formulated a set of performance criteria relating to issues like responsibility, securing funds, legal and legislative implications, economic sustainable development, all being areas which are not traditionally considered as far as technical studies are concerned. These criteria can be most useful from the design stage onward, first in an attempt to define the facility construction and operating guiding principles, and thereafter to substantiate the safety case for long term storage and get geared to the public dialogue on that undertaking should it become a reality.

  19. Key Performance Criteria Affecting the Most the Safety of a Nuclear Waste Long Term Storage : A Case Study Commissioned by CEA

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marvy, A.; Lioure, A; Heriard-Dubreuil, G.; Gadbois, S.; Schneider, T.; Schieber, C.

    2003-01-01

    As part of the work scope set in the French law on high level long lived waste R and D passed in 1991, CEA is conducting a research program to establish the scientific basis and assess the feasibility of long term storage as an option for the safe management of nuclear waste for periods as long as centuries. This goal is a significant departure from the current industrial practice where storage facilities are usually built to last only a few decades. From a technical viewpoint such an extension in time seems feasible provided care and maintenance is exercised. Considering such long periods of time, the risk for Society of loosing oversight and control of such a facility is real, which triggers the question of whether and how long term storage safety can be actually achieved. Therefore CEA commissioned a study (1) in which MUTADIS Consultants (2) and CEPN (3) were both involved. The case study looks into several past and actual human enterprises conducted over significant periods o f time, one of them dating back to the end of the 18th century, and all identified out of the nuclear field. Then-prevailing societal behavior and organizational structures are screened out to show how they were or are still able to cope with similar oversight and control goals. As a result, the study group formulated a set of performance criteria relating to issues like responsibility, securing funds, legal and legislative implications, economic sustainable development, all being areas which are not traditionally considered as far as technical studies are concerned. These criteria can be most useful from the design stage onward, first in an attempt to define the facility construction and operating guiding principles, and thereafter to substantiate the safety case for long term storage and get geared to the public dialogue on that undertaking should it become a reality

  20. The present Swedish nuclear fuel and waste position in perspective

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Svenke, E.

    1983-01-01

    In Sweden current efforts are focussed on research and development of the management of all types of radioactive residues and on industrial projects for the implementation of a complete programme for the back-end of the fuel cycle, where, in fact, international commercial services scarcely exist. Another reason for this priority is the need to allay public anxiety on the subject. The paper describes the policy, planning, and development of the Swedish nuclear back-end as well as its organization and financing. In Sweden the licensee of a nuclear power facility assumes direct responsibility, technically and financially, for the nuclear waste he generates. To cover future costs with respect to the back-end, the utilities pay to the State a fee related to their production of nuclear electricity. The fee is kept in a fund administered by the State through an authority, the 'National Board for Spent Nuclear Fuel'. The technical implementation programme comprises a sea transportation system to be operational by the end of 1982 and a central facility for intermediate storage of spent reactor fuel to be operational by 1985. The third step in the Swedish waste programme is a central final storage facility for reactor wastes other than spent fuel (planned to be in operation by 1988). Broad research and development work is going on in a deep underground system for the isolation of highly active and long-lived wastes. A rock drilling programme is being carried out at several places and is planned to continue for a period of approximately ten years. Encapsulation of waste and the properties of buffer materials are being studied. The paper stresses the importance of achieving generally and multi-nationally accepted guidelines for waste isolation systems and also of proper demonstration of the performance of the various parts of such systems

  1. Waste Handling in SVAFO's Hot Cell

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moeller, Jennifer; Ekenborg, Fredrik; Hellsten, Erik

    2016-01-01

    The decommissioning and dismantling of nuclear installations entails the generation of significant quantities of radioactive waste that must be accepted for disposal. In order to optimise the use of the final repositories for radioactive waste it is important that the waste be sent to the correct repository; that is, that waste containing short-lived radionuclides not be designated as long-lived due to conservative characterisation procedures. The disposal of short-lived waste in a future Swedish repository for long-lived waste will result in increased costs, due to the higher volumetric cost of the disposal as well as costs associated with decades of interim storage before disposal can occur. SVAFO is a non-profit entity that is responsible for the decommissioning of nuclear facilities from historical research and development projects in Sweden. They provide interim storage for radioactive waste arising from research activities until the final repository for long-lived waste is available. SVAFO's offices and facilities are located on the Studsvik site on the east coast of Sweden near the town of Nykoeping. Some of the retired facilities that SVAFO is in the process of decommissioning are located elsewhere in Sweden. The HM facility is a small waste treatment plant owned and operated by SVAFO. The plant processes both liquid and solid radioactive wastes. The facility includes a hot cell equipped with a compactor, a saw and other tools as well as manipulators for the handling and packaging of waste with high dose rates. The cell is fitted with special systems for transporting waste in and passing it out in drums. As with most hot cells there has been an accumulation of surface contamination on the walls, floor and other surfaces during decades of operation. Until recently there has been no attempt to quantify or characterize this contamination. Current practices dictate that after waste is handled in the hot cell it is conservatively designated as long-lived

  2. Radioactive waste management in the VS military nuclear industry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kobal'chuk, O.V.; Kruglov, A.K.; Sokolova, I.D.; Smirnov, Yu.V.

    1989-01-01

    Organization and plans of radioactive waste management in the US military nuclear industry, determining transition from the policy of temporal waste storage to their final and safe disposal are presented. Programs of long-term management of high-level, transuranium and low-level wastes, the problems of the work financing and the structure of management activities related to the radioactive waste processing military nuclear industry enterprises are considered

  3. How long must radioactive wastes from the nuclear fuel cycle be excluded from the biosphere

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Steffen, G.

    1982-01-01

    Estimations of the social costs resulting from the generation and release of radionuclides in the nuclear fuel cycle on the basis of the ''potential hazard measure'' prove, without any additional hypotheses, costs too high as to be acceptable under social aspects. Other approaches to a comparison between advantages and disadvantages determine only part of the radioactivity or use equally unproven additional assumptions. The nuclear industry, but also representatives of supervisory authorities and research institutes argue on the basis of radiotoxicity calculations that even high-level radioactive wastes will cease to be an unbearable risk after several hundreds or thousands of years. In this connection no standardized measure of toxicity is used, nor is there any convincing reasoning agreed upon, so that the estimates of the moment when the high-level radioactive wastes can be considered harmless differ from 500 to 100000 years. An exact application of the various concepts of toxicity and a careful argumentation show, however that detailed safety considerations on an ultimate storage for radioactive wastes of the nuclear fuel cycle should also be made for long periods of times in the geological sense. (orig./RW) [de

  4. Institute of Energy and Climate Research IEK-6. Nuclear waste management report 2013/2014. Material science for nuclear waste management

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Neumeier, S.; Klinkenberg, M.; Bosbach, D. (eds.)

    2016-07-01

    secondary phases for the long-term safety assessment is one of the major research topics in the institute. The fundamental understanding of a long-standing open issue regarding the thermodynamics of radium-barium-sulfate solid solutions and its applicability in long-term safety assessments for nuclear waste disposal could be resolved. This was achieved by a novel approach combining atomistic simulations, radiochemical batch-type laboratory experiments and modern analytical techniques supported by thermodynamic modelling allowing a reliable description of Ra solubility control by a (Ba,Ra)SO{sub 4} solid solution. This research is supported by the Swedish waste management agency SKB. (2) A major step forward was achieved regarding the prediction of actinide- and lanthanide-bearing materials properties by atomistic simulations. Performance tests of the DFT+U method for calculations of f-element-bearing systems (the Hubbard U parameter derived from first principle methods) showed that this method, in contrast to standard DFT, results in exceptionally good predictions of the formation and reaction enthalpies as well as the structures of lanthanide- and actinide-bearing materials. (3) The actinide solid state chemistry group has been very active in recent years to unravel the crystal structure of actinide containing oxo-salts. From the 1101 new crystal structure entries in the ICSD crystal structure database between 2005 and 2012, Prof. Evgeny Alekseev has contributed to 98 entries (almost 10%).

  5. Institute of Energy and Climate Research IEK-6. Nuclear waste management report 2013/2014. Material science for nuclear waste management

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Neumeier, S.; Klinkenberg, M.; Bosbach, D.

    2016-01-01

    secondary phases for the long-term safety assessment is one of the major research topics in the institute. The fundamental understanding of a long-standing open issue regarding the thermodynamics of radium-barium-sulfate solid solutions and its applicability in long-term safety assessments for nuclear waste disposal could be resolved. This was achieved by a novel approach combining atomistic simulations, radiochemical batch-type laboratory experiments and modern analytical techniques supported by thermodynamic modelling allowing a reliable description of Ra solubility control by a (Ba,Ra)SO_4 solid solution. This research is supported by the Swedish waste management agency SKB. (2) A major step forward was achieved regarding the prediction of actinide- and lanthanide-bearing materials properties by atomistic simulations. Performance tests of the DFT+U method for calculations of f-element-bearing systems (the Hubbard U parameter derived from first principle methods) showed that this method, in contrast to standard DFT, results in exceptionally good predictions of the formation and reaction enthalpies as well as the structures of lanthanide- and actinide-bearing materials. (3) The actinide solid state chemistry group has been very active in recent years to unravel the crystal structure of actinide containing oxo-salts. From the 1101 new crystal structure entries in the ICSD crystal structure database between 2005 and 2012, Prof. Evgeny Alekseev has contributed to 98 entries (almost 10%).

  6. Safety of radioactive waste management in France

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Raimbault, P.

    2002-01-01

    Radioactive waste produced in France vary considerably by their activity level, their half lives, their volume or even their nature. In order to manage them safely, the treatment and final disposal solution must be adapted to the type of waste considered by setting up specific waste management channels. A strong principle in France is that it is the responsibility of the nuclear operators as waste producers to dispose of their waste or have them disposed of in a suitable manner. The competent authorities regulate and control the radioactive waste management activities. At present, only short-lived low and intermediate level waste have a definitive solution, the surface repository, where adequate waste packages are disposed of in concrete structures. Other types of radioactive waste are in interim storage facilities at the production sites. For very low level waste coming mainly from dismantling of nuclear facilities a dedicated repository is planned to be built in the coming years. Dedicated repositories are also planned for radiferous, tritiated and graphite waste. As for high level waste and long-lived waste coming mainly from reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel the disposal options are being sought along the lines specified by law 91-1381 concerning research on radioactive waste management, passed on December 30, 1991: research of solutions to partition and transmute long-lived radionuclides in the waste; studies of retrievable and non retrievable disposal in deep geological layers with the help of underground laboratories; studies of processes for conditioning and long term surface storage of these waste. In 2006, the French Parliament will assess the results of the research conducted by ANDRA relative to deep geological disposal as well as the work conducted by CEA in the two other areas of research and, if this research is conclusive, pass a law defining the final disposal option. (author)

  7. Characterization of radioactive waste from nuclear power reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Piumetti, Elsa H.; Medici, Marcela A.

    2007-01-01

    Different kinds of radioactive waste are generated as result of the operation of nuclear power reactors and in all cases the activity concentration of several radionuclides had to be determined in order to optimize resources, particularly when dealing with final disposal or long-term storage. This paper describes the three basic approaches usually employed for characterizing nuclear power reactor wastes, namely the direct methods, the semi-empirical methods and the analytical methods. For some radionuclides or kind of waste, the more suitable method or combination of methods applicable is indicated, stressing that these methods shall be developed and applied during the waste generation step, i.e. during the operation of the reactor. In addition, after remarking the long time span expected from waste generation to their final disposal, the importance of an appropriate record system is pointed out and some basic requirements that should be fulfilled for such system are presented. It is concluded that the tools for a proper characterization of nuclear reactor radioactive waste are available though such tools should be tailored to each specific reactor and their history. (author) [es

  8. Why partition nuclear waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cohen, J.J.

    1976-01-01

    A cursory review of literature dealing with various separatory processes involved in the handling of high-level liquid nuclear waste discloses that, for the most part, discussion centers on separation procedures and methodology for handling the resulting fractions, particularly the actinide wastes. There appears to be relatively little discussion on the incentives or motivations for performing these separations in the first place. Discussion is often limited to the assumption that we must separate out ''long-term'' from our ''short-term'' management problems. This paper deals with that assumption and devotes primary attention to the question of ''why partition waste'' rather than the question of ''how to partition waste'' or ''what to do with the segregated waste.''

  9. World Nuclear Association position statement: Safe management of nuclear waste and used nuclear fuel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saint-Pierre, Sylvain

    2006-01-01

    This WNA Position Statement summarises the worldwide nuclear industry's record, progress and plans in safely managing nuclear waste and used nuclear fuel. The global industry's safe waste management practices cover the entire nuclear fuel-cycle, from the mining of uranium to the long-term disposal of end products from nuclear power reactors. The Statement's aim is to provide, in clear and accurate terms, the nuclear industry's 'story' on a crucially important subject often clouded by misinformation. Inevitably, each country and each company employs a management strategy appropriate to a specific national and technical context. This Position Statement reflects a confident industry consensus that a common dedication to sound practices throughout the nuclear industry worldwide is continuing to enhance an already robust global record of safe management of nuclear waste and used nuclear fuel. This text focuses solely on modern civil programmes of nuclear-electricity generation. It does not deal with the substantial quantities of waste from military or early civil nuclear programmes. These wastes fall into the category of 'legacy activities' and are generally accepted as a responsibility of national governments. The clean-up of wastes resulting from 'legacy activities' should not be confused with the limited volume of end products that are routinely produced and safely managed by today's nuclear energy industry. On the significant subject of 'Decommissioning of Nuclear Facilities', which is integral to modern civil nuclear power programmes, the WNA will offer a separate Position Statement covering the industry's safe management of nuclear waste in this context. The paper's conclusion is that the safe management of nuclear waste and used nuclear fuel is a widespread, well-demonstrated reality. This strong safety record reflects a high degree of nuclear industry expertise and of industry responsibility toward the well-being of current and future generations. Accumulating

  10. Current status of radioactive waste disposal in Japan and foreign countries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yamamoto, Masahumi; Inagaki, Yusuke; Kurata, Mitsuyuki; Tanabe, Hiromi

    2002-01-01

    Various kinds of wastes are generated from operation and decommissioning of nuclear facilities such as a nuclear power plant, a reprocessing plant and so on. These wastes contain radionuclides and are called 'Radioactive Waste'. The radionuclides in the wastes vary considerably in amount from small to large and their half-lives differ in length from short-lived to long-lived. The safety principle for radioactive waste management is to prevent human beings and the environment from receiving radiation exposure over the level which the safety authority in each country approve based on the recommendations by international organizations such as the International Commission on Radiation Protection (ICRP). To assure the conformity to this safety principle, each country has examined the safety measures to dispose of radioactive wastes on the basis of their own condition. For example, high-level radioactive waste (H LW) from reprocessing plant or spent fuel designated as waste and intermediate-and low-level long-lived radioactive wastes, which contain large quantity of long-lived radionuclides, will be disposed of into a deep stable geological formation. The intermediate-and low-level short-lived radioactive wastes, which mainly contain short-lived radionuclides with limited quantity of long-lived radionuclides, have been disposed of in a controlled surface disposal facility or in a rock cavern in the depth of 50-100 m. Clearance level has been considered to be applied for the wastes, which contain very small amount of radionuclides and those wastes bellow clearance level will cause negligible hazards only even without taking any radiation control measures. Such wastes could be reused, recycled or disposed of in the same manner as general wastes from the industries, etc. (author)

  11. The raw material and waste activity balance in the projected nuclear power of Russia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Adamov, E.O.; Ganev, I.Kh.; Lopatkin, A.V.; Muratov, V.G.; Orlov, V.V.

    1997-01-01

    Under discussion is the management of long-lived high-level wastes in the nuclear energy sector of Russia, the development of which on a large scale in the next century is motivated by the need for arresting the increasing consumption of fossil fuels. The prerequisites for the nuclear power growth consists in the design of naturally safe reactors and development of a transmutational nuclear fuel cycle (NFC) technology. The choice of operations in such a cycle and of their quantitative characteristics, is aimed at minimizing the wastes to approach the radiation balance with the natural uranium extracted and put to use. The paper discusses the way the approximation to the balance between the raw material and waste activity is influenced by introduction of the transmutational NFC (in case 2), inclusion of transmutation reactors into the energy mix (case 1), partial disposal of actinide wastes into outer space, and by recycling of protactinium (case 3). It is shown that such a balance can be sustained for a considerable time in cases 2 and 3 or throughout the operation stage of the future nuclear power (case 1). (orig.)

  12. Public reactions to nuclear waste: Citizens' views of repository siting

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rosa, E.A.

    1993-01-01

    This book presents revised and updated papers from a panel of social scientists, at the 1989 AAAS meetings, that examined the public's reactions to nuclear waste disposal and the repository siting process. The papers report the results of original empirical research on citizens' views of nuclear waste repository siting. Topics covered include the following: content analysis of public testimony; sources of public concern about nuclear waste disposal in Texas agricultural communities; local attitudes toward high-level waste repository at Hanford; perceived risk and attitudes toward nuclear wastes; attitudes of Nevada urban residents toward a nuclear waste repository; attitudes of rural community residents toward a nuclear waste respository. An introductory chapter provides background and context, and a concluding chapter summarizes the implications of the reports. Two additional chapters cover important features of high-level waste disposal: long term trends in public attitudes toward nuclear energy and nuclear waste policy and assessment of the effects on the Los Vegas convention business if a high-level nuclear waste depository were sited in Nevada

  13. Civil engineering challenge with nuclear waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Day, D.

    1985-01-01

    The civil engineer can help to solve the problems in disposing of nuclear waste in a deep geologic formation. The site for a nuclear waste repository must be carefully selected so that the geology provides the natural barrier between the waste and the accessible environment specified by the NRC and the EPA. This engineer is familiar with the needed structure and conditions of the host and surrounding rocks, and also the hydraulic mechanisms for limiting the migration of water in the rocks. To dispose of the nuclear waste underground requires stable and long-lasting shafts and tunnels such as civil engineers have designed and constructed for many other uses. The planning, design and construction of the ground surface facilities for a nuclear waste repository involves civil engineering in many ways. The transporation of heavy, metal shielded casks requires special attention to the system of highways and railroads accessing the repository. Structures for handling the shipping casks and transferring the waste onsite and into the deep geologic formation need special considerations. The structures must provide the NRC required containment, including hot cells for remote handling. Therefore, structural design strives for buildings, ventilation structures, shaft headframes, etc., to be earthquake and tornado-proof. These important design bases and considerations for the civil engineer working on a nuclear waste repository are discussed in this paper

  14. Nuclear fuel waste disposal

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1982-01-01

    This film for a general audience deals with nuclear fuel waste management in Canada, where research is concentrating on land based geologic disposal of wastes rather than on reprocessing of fuel. The waste management programme is based on cooperation of the AECL, various universities and Ontario Hydro. Findings of research institutes in other countries are taken into account as well. The long-term effects of buried radioactive wastes on humans (ground water, food chain etc.) are carefully studied with the help of computer models. Animated sequences illustrate the behaviour of radionuclides and explain the idea of a multiple barrier system to minimize the danger of radiation hazards

  15. Radiation Effects in Nuclear Waste Materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Weber, William J.; Wang, Lumin; Hess, Nancy J.; Icenhower, Jonathan P.; Thevuthasan, Suntharampillai

    2003-01-01

    The objective of this project is to develop a fundamental understanding of radiation effects in glasses and ceramics, as well as the influence of solid-state radiation effects on aqueous dissolution kinetics, which may impact the performance of nuclear waste forms and stabilized nuclear materials. This work provides the underpinning science to develop improved glass and ceramic waste forms for the immobilization and disposition of high-level tank waste, excess plutonium, plutonium residues and scrap, other actinides, and other nuclear waste streams. Furthermore, this work is developing develop predictive models for the performance of nuclear waste forms and stabilized nuclear materials. Thus, the research performed under this project has significant implications for the immobilization of High-Level Waste (HLW) and Nuclear Materials, two mission areas within the Office of Environmental Management (EM). With regard to the HLW mission, this research will lead to improved understanding of radiation-induced degradation mechanisms and their effects on dissolution kinetics, as well as development of predictive models for waste form performance. In the Nuclear Materials mission, this research will lead to improvements in the understanding of radiation effects on the chemical and structural properties of materials for the stabilization and long-term storage of plutonium, highly-enriched uranium, and other actinides. The research uses plutonium incorporation, ion-beam irradiation, and electron-beam irradiation to simulate the effects of alpha decay and beta decay on relevant glasses and ceramics. The research under this project has the potential to result in improved glass and ceramic materials for the stabilization and immobilization of high-level tank waste, plutonium residues and scraps, surplus weapons plutonium, highly-enriched uranium, other actinides, and other radioactive materials

  16. Radiation Effects in Nuclear Waste Materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Weber, William J.

    2005-01-01

    The objective of this project is to develop a fundamental understanding of radiation effects in glasses and ceramics, as well as the influence of solid-state radiation effects on aqueous dissolution kinetics, which may impact the performance of nuclear waste forms and stabilized nuclear materials. This work provides the underpinning science to develop improved glass and ceramic waste forms for the immobilization and disposition of high-level tank waste, excess plutonium, plutonium residues and scrap, other actinides, and other nuclear waste streams. Furthermore, this work is developing develop predictive models for the performance of nuclear waste forms and stabilized nuclear materials. Thus, the research performed under this project has significant implications for the immobilization of High-Level Waste (HLW) and Nuclear Materials, two mission areas within the Office of Environmental Management (EM). With regard to the HLW mission, this research will lead to improved understanding of radiation-induced degradation mechanisms and their effects on dissolution kinetics, as well as development of predictive models for waste form performance. In the Nuclear Materials mission, this research will lead to improvements in the understanding of radiation effects on the chemical and structural properties of materials for the stabilization and long-term storage of plutonium, highly-enriched uranium, and other actinides. The research uses plutonium incorporation, ion-beam irradiation, and electron-beam irradiation to simulate the effects of alpha decay and beta decay on relevant glasses and ceramics. The research under this project has the potential to result in improved glass and ceramic materials for the stabilization and immobilization of high-level tank waste, plutonium residues and scraps, surplus weapons plutonium, highly-enriched uranium, other actinides, and other radioactive materials

  17. Potential of the non-waste concept under NPP decommissioning

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oussanov, V.I.; Popov, E.P.; Markelov, P.I.

    2001-01-01

    There are three principal ways to approaching the non-waste nuclear cycle: radical reduction of the long-lived radioactivity generation; creation of the effective reuse procedure and, at last, radioactive waste transmutation. Unlike nuclear fuel cycle, the drastic reduction of the waste arising from the design materials cycle can be reached without need to address the technologies of burning or transmutation of the long-lived radioactive nuclei. The study shows the great potential of the nuclear technology in respect of the cardinal solution of the NPP decommissioning problem and decreasing of decommissioning cost. The key issue of the solution is a radical reduction of the radioactive waste arising from the decommissioning procedure. Generalizing, one may come to conclusion that approaching the non-waste nuclear technology consists in the further developing of the nuclear power infrastructure to a self-contained system including: innovated NPPs (more safe and generating less amount of decommissioning waste), plants for reprocessing fuel and exposed design materials, storage facilities. The paper contribute to the notion that such activity is economically and ecologically expedient. (author)

  18. Nuclear waste vault sealing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gyenge, M.

    1980-01-01

    A nuclear waste vault must be designed and built to ensure adequate isolation of the nuclear wastes from human contact. Consequently, after a vault has been fully loaded, it must be adequately sealed off to prevent radionuclide migration which may be provided by circulating groundwater. Vault sealing entails four major aspects, i.e.: (a) vault grouting; (b) borehole sealing; (c) buffer packing; and (d) backfilling. Of particular concern in vault sealing are the physical and chemical properties of the sealing material, its long-term durability and stability, and the techniques used for its emplacement. Present sealing technology and sealing materials are reviewed in terms of the particular needs of vault sealing. Areas requiring research and development are indicated

  19. Research on long-lived radioactive waste management: focus on environmental issues

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Andre Jehan, R.

    1994-01-01

    Studies are in progress on deep geologic media to examine their potential for retrievable or non retrievable nuclear waste disposal. The primary objective of site investigations and experiments for the coming years will be the development of underground laboratories (observation of host rocks and fluids). Geologic research programs are designed to investigate the potential for deep construction and the ability of the underground media to isolate radioelements from the biosphere. Researches covered the following topics: understanding the media likely to be found in underground laboratories using 3-D geologic modelling; predicting the materials behaviour under various mechanical, thermal and radiation loadings; describing fluid transfers through the geosphere and assessing radioactive materials transport and/or blockage by understanding the multiple geochemical mechanisms involved. The geologic and climatic long term behaviours are also taken into account. (author). 13 figs

  20. Nuclear Waste, Risks and Sustainable Development

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Karlsson, Mikael; Swahn, Johan

    2006-01-01

    The proposed Swedish nuclear waste project is not in line with the three principles of sustainable development. In some aspects, it is not even compatible with Swedish law and ought therefore not to be given a permit under present circumstances. In our view, a number of measures need to be taken to improve the likelihood that the waste repository will promote and not further jeopardise sustainable development. One obvious measure would be to follow the recommendations concerning polluter pays principle put forward by the 2004 governmental committee. Further, it can be credible argued that the focus of the present disposal process has not been to find the best site and method from environmental point of view. If the precautionary principle is to be applied (and Swedish law is to be followed), alternative methods and sites have to be examined to see if they could provide better long-term safety. Concerning method, there are options that deserve much more attention such as so called 'deep boreholes'. In this approach the nuclear waste is placed in deep boreholes at depths of 2-4 km. Studies show that the long-term environmental safety and the possibility of hindering intentional intrusion may improve using the deep borehole method. Regarding localisation, one option would be to avoid siting the repository on the coast, but in what is called a 'recharge area'. In such an area groundwater on a regional scale travels downwards into the bedrock and it may take 50 000 years for a release of radioactivity to reach the surface, compared to less than 100 years with a coastal siting. Evidently, there may be better methods and sites than those now proposed by the Swedish nuclear industry. These options must be examined in detail before a decision is taken to implement the KBS method at a coastal site. If such methods or sites are found better they have to be used in the first place. Improvements are also necessary when it comes to public participation. We believe it is possible

  1. Nuclear Waste, Risks and Sustainable Development

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Karlsson, Mikael [Swedish Society for Nature Conservation, Stockholm (Sweden); Swahn, Johan [Swedish NGO Office for Nuclear Waste Review (MKG), Goeteborg (Sweden)

    2006-09-15

    The proposed Swedish nuclear waste project is not in line with the three principles of sustainable development. In some aspects, it is not even compatible with Swedish law and ought therefore not to be given a permit under present circumstances. In our view, a number of measures need to be taken to improve the likelihood that the waste repository will promote and not further jeopardise sustainable development. One obvious measure would be to follow the recommendations concerning polluter pays principle put forward by the 2004 governmental committee. Further, it can be credible argued that the focus of the present disposal process has not been to find the best site and method from environmental point of view. If the precautionary principle is to be applied (and Swedish law is to be followed), alternative methods and sites have to be examined to see if they could provide better long-term safety. Concerning method, there are options that deserve much more attention such as so called 'deep boreholes'. In this approach the nuclear waste is placed in deep boreholes at depths of 2-4 km. Studies show that the long-term environmental safety and the possibility of hindering intentional intrusion may improve using the deep borehole method. Regarding localisation, one option would be to avoid siting the repository on the coast, but in what is called a 'recharge area'. In such an area groundwater on a regional scale travels downwards into the bedrock and it may take 50 000 years for a release of radioactivity to reach the surface, compared to less than 100 years with a coastal siting. Evidently, there may be better methods and sites than those now proposed by the Swedish nuclear industry. These options must be examined in detail before a decision is taken to implement the KBS method at a coastal site. If such methods or sites are found better they have to be used in the first place. Improvements are also necessary when it comes to public participation. We

  2. Effect of long-lived containers on the postclosure performance of a reference disposal system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Goodwin, B.W.; Hajas, W.C.; LeNeveu, D.M.

    1996-05-01

    The concept for disposal of Canada's nuclear fuel waste involves isolating the waste in corrosion-resistant containers emplaced in a scaled vault at a depth of 500 to 1000 m in plutonic rock of the Canadian Shield. The concept permits a choice of methods, materials, site locations, and designs. The technical feasibility of this concept and its impact on the environment and human health are summarized in an Environmental Impact Statement (AECL 1994a,b), supported by nine detailed reference documents (Davis et al. 1993; Davison et al. 1994a,b; Goodwin et al. 1994; Greber et al. 1994; Grondin et al. 1994; Johnson et al. 1994a,b; Simmons and Baumgartner 1994). In the assessment of the reference disposal system, we assumed the containers encapsulating the nuclear fuel waste were constructed from Grade-2 titanium. In this report, we investigate the effect of a different choice, and assume the use of long-lived containers constructed from materials such as high-purity copper or Grades-12 or -16 titanium alloys. These alternative materials would provide much longer periods of protection, based on the expectation that the only container failure mechanism, for times up to 10 5 a, involves initial fabrication defects. We explore the effects of long-lived containers for the same vault layout and orientation that were assumed for the reference disposal vault. We also explore effects for two less favourable situations, in which the vault is closer to a nearby fracture zone and in which the vault is extended to have emplacement rooms on both sides of the fracture zone. Our analyses use the probabilistic assessment computer code, SYVAC3-CC3, an acronym for SYstems Variability Analysis Code, generation 3. with a system model describing the Canadian Concept, generation 3, for the disposal of nuclear fuel waste. The input data for the code have been adjusted to approximate the expected protection characteristics of alternative container materials. (author). 31 refs., 1 tab., 16 figs

  3. Accelerator technology for Los Alamos nuclear-waste-transmutation and energy-production concepts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lawrence, G.P.; Jameson, R.A.; Schriber, S.O.

    1991-01-01

    Powerful proton linacs are being studied at Los Alamos as drivers for high-flux neutron sources that can transmute long-lived fission products and actinides in defense nuclear waste, and also as drivers of advanced fission-energy systems that could generate electric power with no long-term waste legacy. A transmuter fed by an 800-MeV, 140-mA cw conventional copper linac could destroy the accumulated 99 Tc and 129 I at the DOE's Hanford site within 30 years. A high-efficiency 1200-MeV, 140-mA niobium superconducting linac could drive an energy-producing system generating 1-GWe electric power. Preliminary design concepts for these different high-power linacs are discussed, along with the principal technical issues and the status of the technology base. 9 refs., 5 figs., 4 tabs

  4. Radioactive waste management and disposal

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kaluzny, Y.

    1994-01-01

    The public has demonstrated interest and even concern for radioactive waste. A fully demonstrated industrial solution already exists for 90% of the waste generated by the nuclear industry. Several solutions are currently under development for long-term management of long-lived waste. They could be implemented on an industrial scale within twenty years. The low volumes of this type of waste mean there is plenty of time to adopt a solution. (author). 5 photos

  5. Composite reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel - is a way to low waste nuclear power

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kosyakov, Valentin

    2005-01-01

    Further development of nuclear power in many respects depend on the solution of the problems connected to high level radioactive wastes (HLRW), containing highly toxic long-lived radionuclides. Long-term controlled storage of HLRW manages expensively and any advanced technology of reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel (SNF), besides recovery of the basic products, should be aimed at the reduction of this waste amount. However, the existing SNF reprocessing technology, using PUREX - process, is aimed only at extraction of uranium and plutonium, considering the remaining fraction (other transuranium elements and all fission products) as HLRW. In this work an attempt is made to give quantitative and qualitative characteristics to the isotopes and the elements which are included in the composition of HLRW after 15-years storage. Depending on the radiation properties of the isotopes included, these elements were divided into three categories: 1. The elements represented by only stable isotopes; 2. The elements represented by mostly low radioactive isotopes; 3. The elements represented by highly toxic long-lived radionuclides. As a result it appeared, that the weight percentage of the elements of the first, the second and the third categories in HLRW was: 60, 25 and 15% respectively. It means, that the amount of the real HLRW to be disposed in a deep geological repository could be reduced at least by a factor of 6, if to recover completely only 7 most dangerous elements (Sr, J, Cs, Sm, Np, Am and Cm) from the solution remaining after extraction of uranium and plutonium. Then it is meaningful to recover the elements of the first category from the remaining mix. As the main part of this fraction is represented by rare earth elements and noble metals, which can easily find many useful application. (author)

  6. Elimination of waste actinides by recycling them to nuclear reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McKay, H.A.C.

    1981-01-01

    After a few centuries of radioactive decay the long-lived actinides, the elements of atomic numbers 89-103, may constitute the main potential radiological health hazard in nuclear wastes. This is because all but a very few fission products (principally technetium-99 and iodine-129) have by then decayed to insignificant levels, leaving the actinides as the principal hazardous species remaining. It is therefore at first sight an attractive idea to recycle the actinides in nuclear reactors, so as to eliminate them by nuclear fission. There are good reasons for examining the idea in detail, and studies have been carried out in a number of countries. These have culminated recently in international conferences at the European Joint Research Centre at Ispra in Italy and at Austin, Texas in the USA as well as in the issue of an IAEA Technical Report entitled An Evaluation of Actinide Partitioning and Transmutation, a product of a four-year IAEA Co-ordinated Research Programme, on which the present article is based. The term partitioning refers to the separation of the actinides from nuclear fuel cycle wastes, a necessary preliminary step to their introduction into reactors for transmutation by nuclear fission. The complete scheme will be referred to as P-T, i.e. partitioning-transmutation

  7. Status of the public debate on the general options of management of high and intermediate activity and long-lived radioactive wastes; Bilan du debat public sur les options generales en matiere de gestion des dechets radioactifs de haute activite et de moyenne activite a vie longue

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2006-01-15

    The law from December 30, 1991, precisely defines 3 axes of researches for the management of high level and long-lived radioactive wastes: separation/transmutation, surface storage and underground disposal. A global evaluation report about these researches is to be supplied in 2006 by the French government to the Parliament. A first synthesis of the knowledge gained after 14 years of research has led the national commission of the public debate (CNDP) to organize a national debate about the general options of management of high-level and long-lived radioactive wastes before the 2006 date line. The debate comprised 4 public hearings (September 2005: Bar-le-Duc, Saint-Dizier, Pont-du-Gard, Cherbourg), 12 round-tables (October and November 2005: Paris, Joinville, Caen, Nancy, Marseille), a synthesis meeting (December 2005, Dunkerque) and a closing meeting (January 2006, Lyon). This document is a status of the general organisation and progress of the debate from its preparing to its end in mid-January 2006. It shows the challenges the CNDP had to take up to treat the scientifical and technical questions in an accessible way, allowing the participation and the hearing of the large public. A status is made of the deception and satisfaction of the public. A lack of confidence in public authorities and scientists has been expressed several times. No pro-nuclear/anti-nuclear shock has occurred and the debate has revealed a remarkable richness in its content. One contribution of the debate to the future project of law is its enlargement to the overall nuclear wastes and valorizable materials and not only to the high/intermediate-level and long-lived wastes. (J.S.)

  8. Overview of nuclear waste disposal in space

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rice, E.E.; Priest, C.C.

    1981-01-01

    One option receiving consideration by the Department of Energy (DOE) is the space disposal of certain high-level nuclear wastes. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is assessing the space disposal option in support of DOE studies on alternatives for nuclear waste management. The space disposal option is viewed as a complement, since total disposal of fuel rods from commercial power plants is not considered to be economically practical with Space Shuttle technology. The space disposal of certain high-level wastes may, however, provide reduced calculated and perceived risks. The space disposal option in conjunction with terrestrial disposal may offer a more flexible and lower risk overall waste management system. For the space disposal option to be viable, it must be demonstrated that the overall long-term risks associated with this activity, as a complement to the mined geologic repository, would be significantly less than the long-term risk associated with disposing of all the high-level waste. The long-term risk benefit must be achieved within an acceptable short-term and overall program cost. This paper briefly describes space disposal alternatives, the space disposal destination, possible waste mixes and forms, systems and typical operations, and the energy and cost analysis

  9. Alternative solutions for the disposal of radioactive wastes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ramsey, R.W. Jr.

    1976-01-01

    Besides outlining the possibility of dispatching concentrated highly radioactive waste by rockets into space, or of transmuting long-lived isotopes by nuclear reactions into short-lived ones, the author discusses further alternatives for the disposal of radioactive wastes, especially the storage in geologic formations. (HR/LN) [de

  10. Biogeochemical reactive-transport modelling of the interactions of medium activity long-lived nuclear waste in fractured argillite and the effect on redox conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Small, J.S.; Steele, H.; Kwong, S.; Albrecht, A.

    2010-01-01

    Document available in extended abstract form only. The role of anaerobic microbial processes in mediating gas generation and redox reactions in organic (cellulose) containing low level activity nuclear wastes (LLW) is well established through monitoring of operational near-surface LLW disposal sites and municipal waste disposal sites. Modelling approaches based on Monod kinetic growth models to represent the complex suite of anaerobic processes have been developed and these models are able to reproduce the evolving biogeochemistry and gas generation of large scale and long term (10 year) experiments on cellulose waste degradation. In the case of geological disposal of medium activity long-lived nuclear waste (MAVL) microbial processes have the potential to exploit metabolic energy sources present in the waste, engineered barriers and host geological formation and as a consequence influence redox potential. Several electron donors and electron acceptors may be present in MAVL. Electron donors include; hydrogen (resulting from radiolysis and anaerobic corrosion of metals), and hydrolysis products of organic waste materials. Sulphate, nitrate and Fe(III) containing minerals and corrosion products are examples of electron acceptors present in intermediate level wastes. Significant amounts of organic matter, sulphate and iron minerals may also be present in host geological formations and have the potential to act as microbial energy sources once the system is perturbed by electron donors/acceptors from the waste. The construction of a geological disposal facility will physically disturb the host formation, potentially causing fracturing of the excavation damage zone (EDZ). The EDZ may thus provide environmental conditions, such as space and free water that together with nutrient and energy sources to promote microbial activity. In this study the Generalised Repository Model (GRM) developed to simulate the coupled microbiological, chemical and transport processes in near

  11. Utilization of fast reactor excess neutrons for burning long-lived fission products

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kawashima, K.; Kobayashi, K.; Kaneto, K.

    1995-01-01

    An evaluation is made on a large MOX fuel fast reactor's capability of burning long lived fission product Tc-99, which dominates the long term radiotoxicity of the high level radioactive waste. The excess neutrons generated in the fast reactor core are utilized to transmute Tc-99 to stable isotopes due to neutron capture reaction. The fission product target assemblies which consist of Tc-99 are charged to the reactor core periphery. The fission product target neutrons are moderated to a great deal to pursue the possibility of enhancing the transmutation rate. Any impacts of loading the fission product target assemblies on the core nuclear performances are assessed. A long term Tc-99 accumulation scenario is considered in the mix of fission product burner fast reactor and non-burner LWRs. (author)

  12. Long-term α-hazard of high activity waste from nuclear fuel reprocessing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Girardi, F.; Bertozzi, G.

    1974-01-01

    The concentration and decay of α-emitters in high activity waste arising from spent nuclear fuel reprocessing was calculated under specified reference conditions. An attempt to evaluate the long-term hazard of such waste is being made by applying the ''barrier'' approach derived from reactor safety studies. Four barriers were identified, which could be evaluated in a probabilistic way by taking into account the great uncertainties present in each of them. The barriers are: 1) quality of the segregation afforded by deep geological formations, 2) stability of conditioned waste (chemical and physical), 3) retention by immediate surrounding, 4) distribution pattern of actinides in the environment. The analysis of a fictional accident showed that the uncertainties connected with the evaluation of the barriers' value are rather large. Additional studies particularly on the stability of conditioned waste and ecological properties of the environment towards actinides, would considerably improve our knowledge of the value of the barrier system. Chemical separation of actinides from high activity waste would be an additional option of undoubted value for the disposal of high activity waste. Its value for the overall safety of the entire waste inventory depends on many factors which need better evaluation, such as safety of the disposal of the separated actinides and the amount and quality of the additional waste generated by the separation process. An analysis of various levels of possible separations suggests that a reasonable target might be: Pu, Am and Cm, decontamination factor 10 3 ; Np, coextraction with U and Pu with a 90% yield

  13. Deep reversible storage. Design options for the storage in deep geological formation - High-medium activity, long living wastes 2009 milestone

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2010-09-01

    This report aims at presenting a synthesis of currently studied solutions for the different components of the project of deep geological radioactive waste storage centre. For each of these elements, the report indicates the main operational objectives to be taken into account in relationship with safety functions or with reversibility. It identifies the currently proposed design options, presents the technical solutions (with sometime several possibilities), indicates industrial references (in the nuclear sector, in underground works) and comments results of technological tests performed by the ANDRA. After a description of functionalities and of the overall organisation of storage components, the different following elements and aspects are addressed: surface installations, underground architecture, parcel transfer between the surface and storage cells, storage container for medium-activity long-life (MAVL) waste, storage cell for medium-activity long-life waste, handling of MAVL parcels in storage cells, storage container for high-activity (HA) waste, storage cell for HA waste, handling of HA parcels in storage cells, and works for site closing

  14. Nuclear waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1996-01-01

    The NEA Nuclear Waste Bulletin has been prepared by the Radiation Protection and Waste Management Division of the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency to provide a means of communication amongst the various technical and policy groups within the waste management community. In particular, it is intended to provide timely and concise information on radioactive waste management activities, policies and programmes in Member countries and at the NEA. It is also intended that the Bulletin assists in the communication of recent developments in a variety of areas contributing to the development of acceptable technology for the management and disposal of nuclear waste (e.g., performance assessment, in-situ investigations, repository engineering, scientific data bases, regulatory developments, etc)

  15. Minerals and design of new waste forms for conditioning nuclear waste

    Science.gov (United States)

    Montel, Jean-Marc

    2011-02-01

    Safe storage of radioactive waste is a major challenge for the nuclear industry. Mineralogy is a good basis for designing ceramics, which could eventually replace nuclear glasses. This requires a new storage concept: separation-conditioning. Basic rules of crystal chemistry allow one to select the most suitable structures and natural occurrences allow assessing the long-term performance of ceramics in a geological environment. Three criteria are of special interest: compatibility with geological environment, resistance to natural fluids, and effects of self-irradiation. If mineralogical information is efficient for predicting the behaviour of common, well-known minerals, such as zircon, monazite or apatite, more research is needed to rationalize the long-term behaviour of uncommon waste form analogs.

  16. Synthesis of long live storage studies surface storage of MA-VL wastes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hollender, F.; Jourdain, F.; Piault, E.; Blanchet, Y.; Avakian, G.; Goger, F.; Caillaud, J.; Devictor, N.; Bary, B.; Moitier, C.; Breton, E.; Ranc, G.; Gaillard, J.P.; Lagrave, H.

    2004-01-01

    This document is realized in the framework of the axis 3 of the law of 1991 on the radioactive wastes management. It presents a long time surface storage installation of medium activity long life wastes. The long time of the installation would reach 300 years at the maximum. The feasibility is demonstrated and the design choices are presented and justified. The specific points of the long time storage installation, which are different from a classical industrial storage installation, are also discussed. (A.L.B.)

  17. Science, society, and America's nuclear waste: Unit 1, Nuclear waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1992-01-01

    This is unit 1 in a four-unit secondary curriculum. It is intended to provide information about scientific and societal issues related to the management of spent nuclear fuel from generation of electricity at nuclear powerplants and high-level radioactive waste from US national defense activities. The curriculum, supporting classroom activities, and teaching materials present a brief discussion of energy and electricity generation, including that produced at nuclear powerplants; information on sources, amounts, location, and characteristics of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste; sources, types and effects of radiation; US policy for managing and disposing of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste and what other countries are doing; and the components of the nuclear waste management system

  18. Baseline concentrations of nuclear fuel waste nuclides in the environment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Amiro, B.D.

    1992-04-01

    Protection of the environment is a key issue in the disposal of long-lived radioactive wastes. To assess the implications of undergound disposal, transport models are commonly used to predict radionuclide concentrations in soil and water. However, an appropriate framework needs to be established to ensure that the predicted concentrations do not impose unacceptable environmental impacts. Here, we suggest baseline environmental concentrations of the most important radionuclides in nuclear fuel waste. We summarize background concentrations of the nuclides in soil and surface water, and suggest Environmental Increments (EI) that could be added to soil and water without causing detectable effects. The EI values are based mostly on natural variability, but some alternative methods are used for radionuclides that are very rare in nature. The background concentrations and EI values are most useful as a screening tool to help identify potentially unacceptable concentrations arising from a disposal concept. When available, we also report data on concentrations that have been measured in the environment without causing an observable effect. This review focuses especially on concentrations applicable to the Canadian Precambrian Shield, as part of the Canadian concept of nuclear fuel waste disposal in a deep, stable geological formation

  19. RADIATION EFFECTS IN NUCLEAR WASTE MATERIALS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Weber, William J.

    2000-01-01

    The objective of this research was to develop fundamental understanding and predictive models of radiation effects in glasses and ceramics at the atomic, microscopic, and macroscopic levels, as well as an understanding of the effects of these radiation-induced solid-state changes on dissolution kinetics (i.e., radionuclide release). The research performed during the duration of this project has addressed many of the scientific issues identified in the reports of two DOE panels [1,2], particularly those related to radiation effects on the structure of glasses and ceramics. The research approach taken by this project integrated experimental studies and computer simulations to develop comprehensive fundamental understanding and capabilities for predictive modeling of radiation effects and dissolution kinetics in both glasses and ceramics designed for the stabilization and immobilization of high-level tank waste (HLW), plutonium residues and scraps, surplus weapons plutonium, other actinides, and other highly radioactive waste streams. Such fundamental understanding is necessary in the development of predictive models because all experimental irradiation studies on nuclear waste materials are ''accelerated tests'' that add a great deal of uncertainty to predicted behavior because the damage rates are orders of magnitude higher than the actual damage rates expected in nuclear waste materials. Degradation and dissolution processes will change with damage rate and temperature. Only a fundamental understanding of the kinetics of all the physical and chemical processes induced or affected by radiation will lead to truly predictive models of long-term behavior and performance for nuclear waste materials. Predictive models of performance of nuclear waste materials must be scientifically based and address both radiation effects on structure (i.e., solid-state effects) and the effects of these solid-state structural changes on dissolution kinetics. The ultimate goal of this

  20. Management of radioactive wastes from nuclear fuels and power plants in Canada

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tomlinson, M.; Mayman, S.A.; Tammemagi, H.Y.; Gale, J.; Sanford, B.; Dyne, P.J.

    1977-01-01

    The nature of Canadian nuclear fuel and nuclear generating plant radioactive wastes are summarized. Full exploitation of fission energy resources entails recovery of all fissile and fertile material from spent fuel and separating the fission products as wastes for disposal. A plan for final disposal of all the radioactive wastes is a key component of the waste management scheme. Principles of a scheme for safe, responsible disposal of long-lived radioactive wastes deep underground in isolation from man and the biosphere are outlined. The status of the development and construction program is indicated. We plan to select a site in either a hard rock formation or in a suitable salt bed by 1981 so that a repository can be constructed to begin a demonstration phase in 1986. The repository is to be capable of eventual expansion to accomodate all Canadian nuclear wastes to at least 2050 when in full-scale operation. Extensive geotechnical studies have been initiated in order to select a site, and design and test the repository. We have demonstrated incorporation of fission products in solids that in the short term (17 years) dissolve more slowly than plutonium decays. Investigations of long-term stability are in hand. The principle of retardation of migration of fission products, so that they decay before surfacing, has been tested. Additional capacity for storage of used fuel prior to reprocessing and disposal is required by 1986 and a preliminary design has been prepared for a pool facility to be located at a central fuel recycling and disposal complex. A demonstration of dry storage of fuel in concrete containers is in progress. The quantities of CANDU generating-station wastes and the principles and methods for managing them are summarized. Methods for volume reduction and immobilization by solidification are well advanced. A radioactive-waste operations site is being developed with several different types of surface storage, each with multiple barriers against

  1. Management of radioactive wastes from nuclear fuels and power plants in Canada

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tomlinson, M.; Mayman, S.A.; Tammemagi, H.Y.; Gale, J.; Sanford, B.

    1977-01-01

    The nature of Canadian nuclear fuel and nuclear generating plant radioactive wastes is summarized. Full exploitation of fission energy resources entails recovery of all fissile and fertile material from spent fuel and separating the fission products as wastes for disposal. A plan for final disposal of all the radioactive wastes is a key component of the waste management scheme. Principles of a scheme for safe, responsible disposal of long-lived radioactive wastes deep underground, in isolation from man and the biosphere, are outlined. The status of the development and construction programme is indicated. It is planned to select a site in either a hard rock formation or in a suitable salt bed by 1981 so that a repository can be constructed to begin a demonstration phase in 1986. The repository is to be capable of eventual expansion to accomodate all Canadian nuclear wastes to at least 2050 when in full-scale operation. Extensive geotechnical studies have been initiated in order to select a site, and design and test the repository. The incorporation of fission products in solids that in the short term (17 years) dissolve more slowly than plutonium decays has been demonstrated. Investigations of long-term stability are in hand. The principle of retardation of migration of fission products, so that they decay before surfacing, has been tested. Additional capacity for storage of used fuel prior to reprocessing and disposal is required by 1986 and a preliminary design has been prepared for a pool facility to be located at a central fuel recycling and disposal complex. A demonstration of dry storage of fuel in concrete containers is in progress. The quantities of CANDU generating-station wastes and the principles and methods for managing them are summarized. Methods for volume reduction and immobilization by solidification are well advanced. A radioactive-waste operations site is being developed with several different types of surface storage, each with multiple barriers

  2. Radioactive waste management and the need for a nuclear law in France

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Colson, Jean Philippe; Schapira, Jean Paul

    1995-01-01

    France appears today as a country who has no general nuclear law, despite its strong involvement in nuclear energy production. Recently, the search for a deep underground disposal site for radioactive wastes has led to strong local oppositions, and therefore a law was passed in Parliament by the end of 1991. This paper reviews the general aspects of radioactive waste management and proposes a nuclear law as the best way to take into account the various questions raised by long term management implied by final waste disposal. The first part describes the technical issues on short and long term of radioactive waste management ant its socio-ethical aspects. In the second part, we attempt to demonstrate the need of a nuclear law which will include some basic principles both in the field of environment and more specifically of waste management. Special emphasis will be given to long-term constraints such as uncertainty and lack of reversibility of some technical schemes, with regard to sustainable development. (author)

  3. Transmutation of radioactive nuclear waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Toor, A; Buck, R

    2000-01-01

    Lack of a safe disposal method for radioactive nuclear waste (RNW) is a problem of staggering proportion and impact. A typical LWR fission reactor will produce the following RNW in one year: minor actinides (i.e. 237 Np, 242-243 Am, 243-245 Cm) ∼40 kg, long-lived fission products (i.e, 99 Tc, 93 Zr, 129 I, 135 Cs) ∼80 kg, short lived fission products (e.g. 137 Cs, 90 Sr) ∼50kg and plutonium ∼280 kg. The total RNW produced by France and Canada amounts to hundreds of metric tonnes per year. Obtaining a uniform policy dealing with RNW has been blocked by the desire on one hand to harvest the energy stored in plutonium to benefit society and on the other hand the need to assure that the stockpile of plutonium will not be channeled into future nuclear weapons. In the meantime, the quantity and handling of these materials represents a potential health hazard to the world's population and particularly to people in the vicinity of temporary storage facilities. In the U.S., societal awareness of the hazards associated with RNW has effectively delayed development of U.S. nuclear fission reactors during the past decade. As a result the U.S. does not benefit from the large investment of resources in this industry. Reluctance to employ nuclear energy has compelled our society to rely increasingly on non-reusable alternative energy sources; coal, oil, and natural gas. That decision has compounded other unresolved global problems such as air pollution, acid rain, and global warming. Relying on these energy sources to meet our increasing energy demands has led the U.S. to increase its reliance on foreign oil; a policy that is disadvantageous to our economy and our national security. RNW can be simplistically thought of as being composed of two principal components: (1) actinides with half lives up to 10 6 years and (2) the broad class of fission fragments with typical half lives of a few hundred years. One approach to the RNW storage problem has been to transmute the

  4. Nuclear waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1992-05-01

    The Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982, as amended in 1987, directed the Secretary of Energy to, among other things, investigate Yucca Mountain, Nevada, as a potential site for permanently disposing of highly radioactive wastes in an underground repository. In April 1991, the authors testified on Yucca Mountain project expenditures before your Subcommittee. Because of the significance of the authors findings regrading DOE's program management and expenditures, you asked the authors to continue reviewing program expenditures in depth. As agreed with your office, the authors reviewed the expenditures of project funds made available to the Department of Energy's (DOE) Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, which is the lead project contractor for developing a nuclear waste package that wold be used for disposing of nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain. This report discusses the laboratory's use of nuclear waste funds to support independent research projects and to manage Yucca Mountain project activities. It also discusses the laboratory's project contracting practices

  5. Nuclear waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pligt, J. van der

    1989-01-01

    This chapter present a brief overview of the current situation of siting radioactive wastes. This is followed by an overview of various psychological approaches attempting to analyse public reactions to nuclear facilities. It will be argued that public reactions to nuclear waste factilities must be seen in the context of more general attitudes toward nuclear energy. The latter are not only based upon perceptions of the health and environmental risks but are built on values, and sets of attributes which need not be similar to the representations o the experts and policy-makers. The issue of siting nuclear waste facilities is also embedded in a wider moral and political domain. This is illustrated by the importance of equity issues in siting radioactive wastes. In the last section, the implications of the present line of argument for risk communication and public participation in decisions about siting radioactive wastes will be briefly discussed. (author). 49 refs

  6. The needs of basic chemistry studies for nuclear waste management issues

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guillaumont, R.

    2004-01-01

    There are several strategies to manage the radioactive matter which has taken the status of 'ultimate radwaste'. They are based on combinations of the three primary strategies: 'Wait for Decay', 'Concentrate and Confine' and 'Disperse and Dilute' the radio-toxic radionuclides and chemo-toxic elements. They are, or will be used for safe storage (interim and long term) or safe disposal of nuclear wastes. The chemical needs to apply these strategies are on materials for isolation, matrices for confinement and on the numerous aspects of the migration of the elements, both in the lithosphere and in the biosphere. According to the ultimate fate of long lived radionuclides which will be finally released into the environment, migration studies of elements are, or should be, the driving force of research in nuclear wastes management. The chemical needs for improving our present basic knowledge related to this field will be reviewed, with emphasis on some new topics and on the effects of concentration of the elements when they migrate. The necessity to open some 'dark boxes' will be outlined. The paper does not intend to give programs of researches but only tracks for future research. (authors)

  7. 1980 Annual status report: safety of nuclear materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1981-01-01

    The programme Safety of Nuclear Materials is essentially dealing with long-term safety aspects of the radioactive waste management. The long-term risk of the radioactive waste is due to the presence of alpha-emitting actinides (plutonium, americium, neptunium) and of some long-lived fission products. Evaluation of long-term risk of radioactive waste disposal; assessment studies on alpha-waste management; non-destructive assay of plutonium

  8. Defining a metal-based waste form for IFR pyroprocessing wastes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McDeavitt, S.M.; Park, J.Y.; Ackerman, J.P.

    1994-01-01

    Pyrochemical electrorefining to recover actinides from metal nuclear fuel is a key element of the Integral Fast Reactor (IFR) fuel cycle. The process separates the radioactive fission products from the long-lived actinides in a molten LiCl-KCl salt, and it generates a lower waste volume with significantly less long-term toxicity as compared to spent nuclear fuel. The process waste forms include a mineral-based waste form that will contain fission products removed from an electrolyte salt and a metal-based waste form that will contain metallic fission products and the fuel cladding and process materials. Two concepts for the metal-based waste form are being investigated: (1) encapsulating the metal constituents in a Cu-Al alloy and (2) alloying the metal constituents into a uniform stainless steel-based waste form. Results are given from our recent studies of these two concepts

  9. Commercial nuclear-waste management

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Andress, D.A.

    1981-04-01

    This report is primarily concerned with nuclear waste generated by commercial power operations. It is clear, however, that the total generation of commercial nuclear waste does not tell the whole story, there are sizeable stockpiles of defense nuclear wastes which will impact areas such as total nuclide exposure to the biosphere and the overall economics of waste disposal. The effects of these other nuclear waste streams can be factored in as exogenous inputs. Their generation is essentially independent of nuclear power operations. The objective of this report is to assess the real-world problems associated with nuclear waste management and to design the analytical framework, as appropriate, for handling nuclear waste management issues in the International Nuclear Model. As such, some issues that are not inherently quantifiable, such as the development of environmental Impact Statements to satisfy the National Environmental Protection Act requirements, are only briefly mentioned, if at all

  10. Organization of low-level waste management within ANDRA, France

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marque, Y.

    1993-01-01

    Short-lived waste contains relatively small quantities of radioelements with half-lives of no more than 30 years, and only trace amounts of long-lived radioelements, if any. Cobalt-60, produced by the activation of structural steel in nuclear power plants, accounts for approximately half the radioactivity in waste managed by ADNRA, yet it has only a 5-year half-life. For this reason protection from radiation emitted by this type of waste is not difficult; and the waste will become harmless in less than 300 years. In terms of disposal safety, the guiding principle is simply to isolate the radioactive materials from the environment by disposing of only stabilized waste packages and protecting the packages from outside forces, especially water and human intrusion. Some countries, particularly those that have elected not to sort waste into long-lived and short lived categories, like Germany and Switzerland, plan to dispose of all waste in deep underground repositories. This approach is sometimes a matter of convenience, as is the case for countries like Sweden and Finland, which have built repositories in the Scandinavian granite shield at nuclear power plant sites. France, Spain, the United States, Great Britain, Japan, and others dispose of short-lived waste in near-surface disposal facilities. The safety of the disposal system depends on its three fundamental building blocks: the waste package, the disposal facility, and the site

  11. Nuclear Waste Facing the Test of Time: The Case of the French Deep Geological Repository Project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poirot-Delpech, Sophie; Raineau, Laurence

    2016-12-01

    The purpose of this article is to consider the socio-anthropological issues raised by the deep geological repository project for high-level, long-lived nuclear waste. It is based on fieldwork at a candidate site for a deep storage project in eastern France, where an underground laboratory has been studying the feasibility of the project since 1999. A project of this nature, based on the possibility of very long containment (hundreds of thousands of years, if not longer), involves a singular form of time. By linking project performance to geology's very long timescale, the project attempts "jump" in time, focusing on a far distant future, without understanding it in terms of generations. But these future generations remain measurements of time on the surface, where the issue of remembering or forgetting the repository comes to the fore. The nuclear waste geological storage project raises questions that neither politicians nor scientists, nor civil society, have ever confronted before. This project attempts to address a problem that exists on a very long timescale, which involves our responsibility toward generations in the far future.

  12. More reliable financing of future nuclear waste costs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1994-01-01

    This appendix contains seven reports written by consultants to the Commission. The report titles are: Basic document regarding the inquiry on fund management; Scenarios for growth and real interest rates in a long perspective; Stability of the Swedish financing system; Report concerning the financing of nuclear waste management in Sweden and Finland and the cost control system in Sweden; Evaluation of the cost estimates and calculation methods of SKB; A study of the costs for nuclear waste - The basis for cost estimation; A review of scope and costs for the Swedish system for management of nuclear waste. The four last reports are separately indexed

  13. Reduction and resource recycling of high-level radioactive wastes through nuclear transmutation with PHITS code

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fujita, Reiko

    2017-01-01

    In the ImPACT program of the Cabinet Office, programs are underway to reduce long-lived fission products (LLFP) contained in high-level radioactive waste through nuclear transmutation, or to recycle/utilize useful nuclear species. This paper outlines this program and describes recent achievements. This program consists of five projects: (1) separation/recovery technology, (2) acquisition of nuclear transmutation data, (3) nuclear reaction theory model and simulation, (4) novel nuclear reaction control and development of elemental technology, and (5) discussions on process concept. The project (1) develops a technology for dissolving vitrified solid, a technology for recovering LLFP from high-level waste liquid, and a technology for separating odd and even lasers. Project (2) acquires the new nuclear reaction data of Pd-107, Zr-93, Se-79, and Cs-135 using RIKEN's RIBF or JAEA's J-PARC. Project (3) improves new nuclear reaction theory and structural model using the nuclear reaction data measured in (2), improves/upgrades nuclear reaction simulation code PHITS, and proposes a promising nuclear transmutation pathway. Project (4) develops an accelerator that realizes the proposed transmutation route and its elemental technology. Project (5) performs the conceptual design of the process to realize (1) to (4), and constructs the scenario of reducing/utilizing high-level radioactive waste to realize this design. (A.O.)

  14. US program for the immobilization of high-level nuclear wastes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Crandall, J.L.

    1979-01-01

    A program has been developed for long-term management of high-level nuclear waste. The Savannah River Operations Office of the US Department of Energy is acting as the lead office for this program with technical advice from the E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company. The purpose of the long-term program is to immobilize the DOE high-level waste in forms that act as highly efficient barriers against radionuclide release to the disposal site and to provide technology for similar treatment of commercial high-level waste in case reprocessing of commercial nuclear fuels is ever resumed. Descriptions of existing DOE and commercial wastes, program strategy, program expenditures, development of waste forms, evaluation and selection of waste forms, regulatory aspects of waste form selection, project schedules, and cost estimates for immobilization facilities are discussed

  15. The HILW-LL (high- and intermediate-level waste, long-lived) disposal project: working toward building the Cigeo Industrial Centre for Geological Disposal

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Labalette, Th.

    2011-01-01

    The French Act of 28 June 2006 identifies reversible disposal in deep geological facilities as the benchmark solution for long-term management of high-level waste (HLW) and for intermediate-level long-lived waste (ILW-LL). The Act tasks ANDRA (national agency for the management of radioactive wastes) with the pursuit of studies and research on the choice of a site and the design of the repository, with a view to examining the licence application in 2015 and, provided that the licence is granted, to make the facility operational by 2025. At the end of 2009, ANDRA submitted to the Government its proposals regarding the site and the design of the Industrial Centre for Geological Disposal, known as CIGEO. With the definition of a possible area for the construction of underground disposal facilities, one of the key stages in the project has been achieved. The choice of a surface site will be validated following the public consultation scheduled for the end of 2012. The project is now on the point of entering the definition stage (preliminary design). CIGEO will be a nuclear facility unlike any other. It will be built and operated for a period of over 100 years. For it to be successful, the project must meet certain requirements related to its integration in the local area, industrial planning, safety and reversibility, while also controlling costs. Reversibility is a very important concept that will be defined by law. It is ANDRA's responsibility to ensure that a reasonable balance is found between these different concerns. (author)

  16. Addressing ethical considerations about nuclear fuel waste management

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Greber, M.A.

    1996-01-01

    Ethical considerations will be important in making decisions about the long-term management of nuclear fuel waste. Public discussions of nuclear fuel waste management are dominated by questions related to values, fairness, rights and responsibilities. To address public concerns, it is important to demonstrate that ethical responsibilities associated with the current management of the waste are being fulfilled. It is also important to show that our responsibilities to future generations can be met, and that ethical principles will be applied to the implementation of disposal. Canada's nuclear fuel waste disposal concept, as put forward in an Environmental Impact Statement by Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL), is currently under public review by a Federal Environmental Assessment Panel. Following this review, recommendations will be made about the direction that Canada should take for the long-term management of this waste. This paper discusses the ethical principles that are seen to apply to geological disposal and illustrates how the Canadian approach to nuclear fuel waste management can meet the challenge of fulfilling these responsibilities. The author suggests that our ethical responsibilities require that adaptable technologies to site, design, construct, operate decommission and close disposal facilities should de developed. We cannot, and should not, present future generations from exercising control over what they inherit, nor control whether they modify or even reverse today's decisions if that is what they deem to be the right thing to do. (author)

  17. Building world-wide nuclear industry success stories - Safe management of nuclear waste and used nuclear fuel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saint-Pierre, S.

    2005-01-01

    Full text: This WNA Position Statement summarizes the worldwide nuclear industry's record, progress and plans in safely managing nuclear waste and used nuclear fuel. The global industry's safe waste management practices cover the entire nuclear fuel-cycle, from the mining of uranium to the long-term disposal of end products from nuclear power reactors. The Statement's aim is to provide, in clear and accurate terms, the nuclear industry's 'story' on a crucially important subject often clouded by misinformation. Inevitably, each country and each company employs a management strategy appropriate to a specific national and technical context. This Position Statement reflects a confident industry consensus that a common dedication to sound practices throughout the nuclear industry worldwide is continuing to enhance an already robust global record of safe management of nuclear waste and used nuclear fuel. This text focuses solely on modern civil programmes of nuclear-electricity generation. It does not deal with the substantial quantities of waste from military or early civil nuclear programmes. These wastes fall into the category of 'legacy activities' and are generally accepted as a responsibility of national governments. The clean-up of wastes resulting from 'legacy activities' should not be confused with the limited volume of end products that are routinely produced and safely managed by today's nuclear energy industry. On the significant subject of 'Decommissioning of Nuclear Facilities', which is integral to modern civil nuclear power programmes, the WNA will offer a separate Position Statement covering the industry's safe management of nuclear waste in this context. The safe management of nuclear waste and used nuclear fuel is a widespread, well-demonstrated reality. This strong safety record reflects a high degree of nuclear industry expertise and of industry responsibility toward the well-being of current and future generations. Accumulating experience and

  18. Long-lived radioactive waste and nuclear plant decommissioning a legacy to future generations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McAulay, I.R.

    1996-01-01

    Radioactive waste is an inevitable by-product of all uses of radioactive substances. This is the case of natural radioactivity as well as for artificially produced radioactive isotopes, and it is easy to overlook the significance of the waste problem in the case of technologically enhanced natural radioactivity. Several options are available for the disposal of radioactive waste and the paper considers these in detail from the point of view of the possible future impact of radiation doses to individuals or populations. Particular consideration is given to the use of deep disposal at stable geological sites as a means of dealing with large amounts of radioactive waste. It should not be forgotten that some of what we term waste today need not necessarily always be so. Indeed, there is a good case to make for the recycling of low activity materials rather than the uneconomic expedient of burying them. The paper will consider the possible recycling of valuable materials following suitable reprocessing and dilution and mention the dose implications of examples of such re-utilisation of radioactive materials

  19. Long-lived radioactive waste and nuclear plant decommissioning a legacy to future generations

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    McAulay, I R [Trinity Coll., Dublin (Ireland). Physical Lab.

    1996-10-01

    Radioactive waste is an inevitable by-product of all uses of radioactive substances. This is the case of natural radioactivity as well as for artificially produced radioactive isotopes, and it is easy to overlook the significance of the waste problem in the case of technologically enhanced natural radioactivity. Several options are available for the disposal of radioactive waste and the paper considers these in detail from the point of view of the possible future impact of radiation doses to individuals or populations. Particular consideration is given to the use of deep disposal at stable geological sites as a means of dealing with large amounts of radioactive waste. It should not be forgotten that some of what we term waste today need not necessarily always be so. Indeed, there is a good case to make for the recycling of low activity materials rather than the uneconomic expedient of burying them. The paper will consider the possible recycling of valuable materials following suitable reprocessing and dilution and mention the dose implications of examples of such re-utilisation of radioactive materials.

  20. Nuclear Waste Management Program summary document, FY 1981

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Meyers, Sheldon

    1980-03-01

    The Nuclear Waste Management Program Summary Document outlines the operational and research and development (R and D) activities of the Office of Nuclear Waste Management (NEW) under the Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy, US Department of Energy (DOE). This document focuses on the current and planned activities in waste management for FY 1981. This Program Summary Document (PSD) was prepared in order to explain the Federal nuclear waste management and spent fuel storage programs to Congress and its committees and to interested members of the public, the private sector, and the research community. The national energy policy as it applies to waste management and spent fuel storage is presented first. The program strategy, structure, budget, management approach, and public participation programs are then identified. The next section describes program activities and outlines their status. Finally, the applicability of departmental policies to NEW programs is summarized, including field and regional activities, commercialization plans, and environmental and socioeconomic implications of waste management activities, and international programs. This Nuclear Waste Management Program Summary Document is meant to serve as a guide to the progress of R and D and other energy technology programs in radioactive waste management. The R and D objective is to provide the Nation with acceptable solutions to short- and long-term management problems for all forms of radioactive waste and spent fuel.

  1. Nuclear Waste Management Program summary document, FY 1981

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1980-03-01

    The Nuclear Waste Management Program Summary Document outlines the operational and research and development (R and D) activities of the Office of Nuclear Waste Management (NEW) under the Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy, US Department of Energy (DOE). This document focuses on the current and planned activities in waste management for FY 1981. This Program Summary Document (PSD) was prepared in order to explain the Federal nuclear waste management and spent fuel storage programs to Congress and its committees and to interested members of the public, the private sector, and the research community. The national energy policy as it applies to waste management and spent fuel storage is presented first. The program strategy, structure, budget, management approach, and public participation programs are then identified. The next section describes program activities and outlines their status. Finally, the applicability of departmental policies to NEW programs is summarized, including field and regional activities, commercialization plans, and environmental and socioeconomic implications of waste management activities, and international programs. This Nuclear Waste Management Program Summary Document is meant to serve as a guide to the progress of R and D and other energy technology programs in radioactive waste management. The R and D objective is to provide the Nation with acceptable solutions to short- and long-term management problems for all forms of radioactive waste and spent fuel

  2. Dictionary of nuclear power and waste management with abbreviations and acronyms

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lau, Foo-Sun

    1987-01-01

    This dictionary of definitions, abbreviations and acronyms together with appendices containing lists of element and atomic masses, half-lives, symbols, units, physical constants and conversion tables associated with nuclear technology and waste management has been compiled to enable scientists and laymen to reach a better understanding of the technical terms associated with nuclear power, engineering and waste management. There is a bibliography for further reading.

  3. Radioactive waste management policy for nuclear power

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Andrei, V.; Glodeanu, F.; Simionov, V.

    1998-01-01

    Nuclear power is part of energy future as a clean and environmental friendly source of energy. For the case of nuclear power, two specific aspects come more often in front of public attention: how much does it cost and what happens with radioactive waste. The competitiveness of nuclear power vs other sources of energy is already proved in many developed and developing countries. As concerns the radioactive wastes treatment and disposal, industrial technologies are available. Even final solutions for disposal of high level radioactive waste, including spent fuel, are now fully developed and ready for large scale implementation. Policies and waste management strategies are established by all countries having nuclear programs. Once, the first nuclear power reactor was commissioned in Romania, and based on the national legal provisions, our company prepared the first issue of a general strategy for radioactive waste management. The general objective of the strategy is to dispose the waste according to adequate safety standards protecting the man and the environment, without undue burden on future generations. Two target objectives were established for long term: an interim spent fuel dry storage facility and a low and intermediate level waste repository. A solution for spent fuel disposal will be implemented in the next decade, based on international experience. Principles for radioactive waste management, recommended by IAEA are closely followed in the activities of our company. The continuity of responsibilities is considered to be very important. The radioactive waste management cost will be supported by the company. A tax on unit price of electricity will be applied. The implementation of radioactive waste management strategy includes as a major component the public information. A special attention will be paid by the company to an information program addressed to different categories of public in order to have a better acceptance of our nuclear power projects

  4. Nuclear waste management: storage and disposal aspects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Patterson, B.D.; Dave, S.A.; O'Connell, W.J.

    1980-01-01

    Long-term disposal of nuclear wastes must resolve difficulties arising chiefly from the potential for contamination of the environment and the risk of misuse. Alternatives available for storage and disposal of wastes are examined in this overview paper. Guidelines and criteria which may govern in the development of methods of disposal are discussed

  5. Grouting of nuclear waste vault shafts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gyenge, M.

    1980-01-01

    A nuclear waste vault must be designed and built to ensure adequate isolation of the nuclear wastes from human contact. Consequently, after a vault has been fully loaded it must be adequately sealed off to prevent radionuclide migration which may be provided by circulating ground water. Of particular concern in vault sealing are the physical and chemical properties of the sealing materials its long-term durability and stability and the techniques used for its emplacement. Present grouting technology and grout material are reviewed in terms of the particular needs of shaft grouting. Areas requiring research and development are indicated

  6. The waste management program VUB-AZ: An integrated solution for nuclear biomedical waste management

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Covens, P.; Sonck, M.; Eggermont, G.; Meert, D.

    2001-01-01

    Due to escalating costs and the lack of acceptance of near-surface disposal facilities, the University of Brussels (VUB) and its Academic hospital (AZ) have developed an on-site waste storage program in collaboration with Canberra Europe. This programme is based on selective collection, measurement before decay, storage for decay of short-lived radionuclides, measurement after decay and eventual clearance as non-nuclear waste. It has proved its effectiveness over the past 5 years. Effective characterisation for on-site storage for decay of short-lived radionuclides makes selective collection of waste streams mandatory and requires motivated and trained laboratory staff. Dynamic optimisation of this selective collection increases the efficiency of the storage for decay programme. The accurate qualitative and quantitative measurement of nuclear biomedical waste before decay has several advantages such as verification of correct selective collection, optimisation of the decay period and possibility of clearance below the minimal detectable activity. In the research phase of the program several measurement techniques were investigated. The following measurement concept was selected. Closed PE drums containing low density solid waste materials contaminated with small amounts of β/γ-or pure β-emitting radionuclides are assessed for specific activity by the Canberra measurement unit for nuclear biomedical waste, based on a HPGe-detector. Liquid waste containing (β/γ-emitters are characterised by the same technique while for pure β-emitting liquid waste a Packard liquid scintillation counter is used. Measurement results are obtained by using the gamma-spectroscopy software Genie-2000. A user-friendly interface, based on Procount-2000 and optimised by Canberra for the characterisation of nuclear biomedical waste, has increased the sample throughput of the measurement concept. The MDA (minimal detectable activity) of different radionuclides obtained by the measurement

  7. Long-Term Waste Package Degradation Studies at the Yucca Mountain Potential High-Level Nuclear Waste Repository

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mon, K. G.; Bullard, B. E.; Longsine, D. E.; Mehta, S.; Lee, J. H.; Monib, A. M.

    2002-01-01

    The Site Recommendation (SR) process for the potential repository for spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and high-level nuclear waste (HLW) at Yucca Mountain, Nevada is underway. Fulfillment of the requirements for substantially complete containment of the radioactive waste emplaced in the potential repository and subsequent slow release of radionuclides from the Engineered Barrier System (EBS) into the geosphere will rely on a robust waste container design, among other EBS components. Part of the SR process involves sensitivity studies aimed at elucidating which model parameters contribute most to the drip shield and waste package degradation characteristics. The model parameters identified included (a) general corrosion rate model parameters (temperature-dependence and uncertainty treatment), and (b) stress corrosion cracking (SCC) model parameters (uncertainty treatment of stress and stress intensity factor profiles in the Alloy 22 waste package outer barrier closure weld regions, the SCC initiation stress threshold, and the fraction of manufacturing flaws oriented favorably for through-wall penetration by SCC). These model parameters were reevaluated and new distributions were generated. Also, early waste package failures due to improper heat treatment were added to the waste package degradation model. The results of these investigations indicate that the waste package failure profiles are governed by the manufacturing flaw orientation model parameters and models used

  8. Disposal of high level nuclear wastes: Thermodynamic equilibrium and environment ethics

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    RANA Mukhtar Ahmed

    2009-01-01

    Contamination of soil, water or air, due to a failure of containment or disposal of high level nuclear wastes, can potentially cause serious hazards to the environment or human health. Essential elements of the environment and radioactivity dangers to it are illustrated. Issues of high level nuclear waste disposal are discussed with a focus on thermodynamic equilibrium and environment ethics. Major aspects of the issues are analyzed and described briefly to build a perception of risks involved and ethical implications. Nuclear waste containment repository should be as close as possible to thermodynamic equilibrium. A clear demonstration about safety aspects of nuclear waste management is required in gaining public and political confidence in any possible scheme of permanent disposal. Disposal of high level nuclear waste offers a spectrum of environment connected challenges and a long term future of nuclear power depends on the environment friendly solution of the problem of nuclear wastes.

  9. Nuclear Energy, Long Term Requirements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Knapp, V.

    2006-01-01

    There are serious warnings about depletion of oil and gas and even more serious warnings about dangers of climate change caused by emission of carbon dioxide. Should developed countries be called to replace CO2 emitting energy sources as soon as possible, and the time available may not be longer then few decades, can nuclear energy answer the call and what are the requirements? Assuming optimistic contribution of renewable energy sources, can nuclear energy expand to several times present level in order to replace large part of fossil fuels use? Paper considers intermediate and long-term requirements. Future of nuclear power depends on satisfactory answers on several questions. First group of questions are those important for near and intermediate future. They deal with economics and safety of nuclear power stations in the first place. On the same time scale a generally accepted concept for radioactive waste disposal is also required. All these issues are in the focus of present research and development. Safer and more economical reactors are targets of international efforts in Generation IV and INPRO projects, but aiming further ahead these innovative projects are also addressing issues such as waste reduction and proliferation resistance. However, even assuming successful technical development of these projects, and there is no reason to doubt it, long term and large-scale nuclear power use is thereby not yet secured. If nuclear power is to play an essential role in the long-term future energy production and in reduction of CO2 emission, than several additional questions must be replied. These questions will deal with long-term nuclear fuel sufficiency, with necessary contribution of nuclear power in sectors of transport and industrial processes and with nuclear proliferation safety. This last issue is more political then technical, thus sometimes neglected by nuclear engineers, yet it will have essential role for the long-term prospects of nuclear power. The

  10. Prediction of long-term behaviour for nuclear waste disposal

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shoesmith, D.W.; Ikeda, B.M.; King, F.; Sunder, S.

    1996-09-01

    The modelling procedures developed for the long-term prediction of the corrosion of used fuel and of titanium and copper nuclear waste containers are described. The corrosion behaviour of these materials changes with time as the conditions within the conceptual disposal vault evolve from an early warm, oxidizing phase to an indefinite period of cool, anoxic conditions. For the two candidate container materials, this evolution of conditions means that the containers will be initially susceptible to localized corrosion but that in the long-term, corrosion should be more general in nature. The propagation of the pitting of Cu and of the crevice corrosion of Ti alloys is modelled using statistical models. General corrosion processes are modelled deterministically. For the fuel, deterministic electrochemical models have been developed to predict the long-term dissolution rate of U0 2 . The corrosion behaviour of materials in the disposal vault can be influenced by reengineering the vault environment. For instance, increasing the areal loading of containers will produce higher vault temperatures resulting in more extensive drying of the porous backfill materials. The initiation of crevice corrosion on Ti may then be delayed, leading to longer container lifetimes. For copper containers, minimizing the amount Of O 2 initially trapped in the pores of the backfill, or adding reducing agents to consume this O 2 faster, will limit the extent of corrosion, permitting a reduction of the container wall thickness necessary for containment. (author). 55 refs., 19 figs

  11. Sandia National Laboratories performance assessment methodology for long-term environmental programs : the history of nuclear waste management.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Marietta, Melvin Gary; Anderson, D. Richard; Bonano, Evaristo J.; Meacham, Paul Gregory (Raytheon Ktech, Albuquerque, NM)

    2011-11-01

    Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) is the world leader in the development of the detailed science underpinning the application of a probabilistic risk assessment methodology, referred to in this report as performance assessment (PA), for (1) understanding and forecasting the long-term behavior of a radioactive waste disposal system, (2) estimating the ability of the disposal system and its various components to isolate the waste, (3) developing regulations, (4) implementing programs to estimate the safety that the system can afford to individuals and to the environment, and (5) demonstrating compliance with the attendant regulatory requirements. This report documents the evolution of the SNL PA methodology from inception in the mid-1970s, summarizing major SNL PA applications including: the Subseabed Disposal Project PAs for high-level radioactive waste; the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant PAs for disposal of defense transuranic waste; the Yucca Mountain Project total system PAs for deep geologic disposal of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste; PAs for the Greater Confinement Borehole Disposal boreholes at the Nevada National Security Site; and PA evaluations for disposal of high-level wastes and Department of Energy spent nuclear fuels stored at Idaho National Laboratory. In addition, the report summarizes smaller PA programs for long-term cover systems implemented for the Monticello, Utah, mill-tailings repository; a PA for the SNL Mixed Waste Landfill in support of environmental restoration; PA support for radioactive waste management efforts in Egypt, Iraq, and Taiwan; and, most recently, PAs for analysis of alternative high-level radioactive waste disposal strategies including repositories deep borehole disposal and geologic repositories in shale and granite. Finally, this report summarizes the extension of the PA methodology for radioactive waste disposal toward development of an enhanced PA system for carbon sequestration and storage systems

  12. Deep Geologic Nuclear Waste Disposal - No New Taxes - 12469

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Conca, James [RJLee Group, Inc., Pasco WA 509.205.7541 (United States); Wright, Judith [UFA Ventures, Inc., Richland, WA (United States)

    2012-07-01

    formation, i.e., how well it performs on its own for millions of years with little engineering assistance from humans. It is critical that the states most affected by this issue (WA, SC, ID, TN, NM and perhaps others) develop an independent multi-state agreement in order for a successful program to move forward. Federal approval would follow. Unknown to most, the United States has a successful operating deep permanent geologic nuclear repository for high and low activity waste, called the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) near Carlsbad, New Mexico. Its success results from several factors, including an optimal geologic and physio-graphic setting, a strong scientific basis, early regional community support, frequent interactions among stakeholders at all stages of the process, long-term commitment from the upper management of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) over several administrations, strong New Mexico State involvement and oversight, and constant environmental monitoring from before nuclear waste was first emplaced in the WIPP underground (in 1999) to the present. WIPP is located in the massive bedded salts of the Salado Formation, whose geological, physical, chemical, redox, thermal, and creep-closure properties make it an ideal formation for long-term disposal, long-term in this case being greater than 200 million years. These properties also mean minimal engineering requirements as the rock does most of the work of isolating the waste. WIPP has been operating for twelve years, and as of this writing, has disposed of over 80,000 m{sup 3} of nuclear weapons waste, called transuranic or TRU waste (>100 nCurie/g but <23 Curie/1000 cm{sup 3}) including some high activity waste from reprocessing of spent fuel from old weapons reactors. All nuclear waste of any type from any source can be disposed in this formation better, safer and cheaper than in any other geologic formation. At the same time, it is critical that we complete the Yucca Mountain license application

  13. PLAN 98 - Costs for management of the radioactive waste from nuclear power production

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1998-06-01

    The nuclear utilities in Sweden are responsible for managing and disposing of spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste from the nuclear power reactors in a safe manner. The most important measures are to plan, build and operate the facilities and systems needed, and to conduct related R and D. This report presents a calculation of the costs for implementing all of these measures. The following facilities and systems are in operation: Transportation system for radioactive waste products. Central interim storage facility for spent nuclear fuel, CLAB. Final repository for radioactive operational waste, SFR I. Plans also exist for: Encapsulation plant for spent nuclear fuel. Deep repository for spent fuel and other long-lived waste. Final repository for decommissioning waste. The cost calculations also include costs for research, development and demonstration, as well as for decommissioning and dismantling the reactor plants etc. At the end of 1995, certain amendments were made in the Financing Act which influence the calculations presented in this report. The most important amendment is that the reactor owners, besides paying a fee or charge on nuclear energy production, must also give guarantees as security for remaining costs. In this way the fee can be based on a probable cost for waste management. This cost includes uncertainties and variations that are normal for this type of project. Cost increases as a consequence of major changes, disruptions etc. can instead be covered via the given guarantees. The total future costs, in January 1998 prices, for the Swedish waste management system from 1999 onward has been calculated to be SEK 45.8 billion. The total costs apply for the waste obtained from 25 years of operation of all Swedish reactors. They will fall due over a total period of approximately 50 years up to the middle of the 2l st century, but the greater part will fall due during the next 20 years. It is estimated that SEK 12.1 billion in current money terms

  14. Cement-Based Materials for Nuclear Waste Storage

    CERN Document Server

    Cau-di-Coumes, Céline; Frizon, Fabien; Lorente, Sylvie

    2013-01-01

    As the re-emergence of nuclear power as an acceptable energy source on an international basis continues, the need for safe and reliable ways to dispose of radioactive waste becomes ever more critical. The ultimate goal for designing a predisposal waste-management system depends on producing waste containers suitable for storage, transportation and permanent disposal. Cement-Based Materials for Nuclear-Waste Storage provides a roadmap for the use of cementation as an applied technique for the treatment of low- and intermediate-level radioactive wastes.Coverage includes, but is not limited to, a comparison of cementation with other solidification techniques, advantages of calcium-silicate cements over other materials and a discussion of the long-term suitability and safety of waste packages as well as cement barriers. This book also: Discusses the formulation and production of cement waste forms for storing radioactive material Assesses the potential of emerging binders to improve the conditioning of problemati...

  15. Science, society, and America's nuclear waste: Unit 3, The Nuclear Waste Policy Act

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1992-01-01

    This is the 3rd unit, (The Nuclear Waste Policy Act) a four-unit secondary curriculum. It is intended to provide information about scientific and societal issues related to the management of spent nuclear fuel from generation of electricity at nuclear powerplants and high-level radioactive waste from US national defense activities. The curriculum, supporting classroom activities, and teaching materials present a brief discussion of energy and electricity generation, including that produced at nuclear powerplants; information on sources, amounts, location, and characteristics of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste; sources, types and effects of radiation; US policy for managing and disposing of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste and what other countries are doing; and the components of the nuclear waste management system

  16. NUCLEAR WASTE state-of-the-art reports 2004

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2004-01-01

    nuclear waste question and the future' is the third and last part. Here the question about long-term responsibility is discussed for the different choices we have to do in handling the nuclear wastes. The the first chapter, 'Transmutation - an alternative to waste disposal' treats the question about transmutation from a scenario perspective and questions the realism in this technology. The last chapter 'Nuclear waste, ethics and the responsibility for future generations' focuses on the question about our responsibility for future generations when it comes to different choices for nuclear waste handling. Here, the importance of different ethical attitudes for the decisions that we make is discussed - not only in the nuclear waste question. Thereby KASAM hopes to open a discussion in view of the decisions we have to take in the near future

  17. Nuclear waste - a fresh perspective

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tammemagi, H.Y.

    1996-01-01

    Rather than looking at the nuclear waste problem in isolation, it should be viewed in the broader context of how society disposes of all of its wastes. A comparison of radioactive and non-radioactive wastes shows, contrary to popular perception, that the properties of these two waste types are actually very similar. However, the methods of regulation and management of the two waste types are very different. It is time that these differences were reconciled - both the nuclear and the non-nuclear waste industries have a lot to gain. There are three main categories of (non-nuclear) waste: municipal wastes, hazardous wastes, and industrial wastes. Rather than treating each of these waste types in separate, isolated compartments, there should be an integration of the principles and regulations involved in their management. The non-nuclear waste industry has much to learn from the nuclear approach

  18. Regulation of radioactive waste management

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2002-01-01

    This bulletin contains information about activities of the Nuclear Regulatory Authority of the Slovak Republic (UJD). In this leaflet the regulation of radioactive waste management of the UJD are presented. Radioactive waste (RAW) is the gaseous, liquid or solid material that contains or is contaminated with radionuclides at concentrations or activities greater than clearance levels and for which no use is foreseen. The classification of radioactive waste on the basis of type and activity level is: - transition waste; - short lived low and intermediate level waste (LlLW-SL); - long lived low and intermediate level waste (LlLW-LL); - high level waste. Waste management (in accordance with Act 130/98 Coll.) involves collection, sorting, treatment, conditioning, transport and disposal of radioactive waste originated by nuclear facilities and conditioning, transport to repository and disposal of other radioactive waste (originated during medical, research and industrial use of radioactive sources). The final goal of radioactive waste management is RAW isolation using a system of engineered and natural barriers to protect population and environment. Nuclear Regulatory Authority of the Slovak Republic regulates radioactive waste management in accordance with Act 130/98 Coll. Inspectors regularly inspect and evaluate how the requirements for nuclear safety at nuclear facilities are fulfilled. On the basis of safety documentation evaluation, UJD issued permission for operation of four radioactive waste management facilities. Nuclear facility 'Technologies for treatment and conditioning contains bituminization plants and Bohunice conditioning centre with sorting, fragmentation, evaporation, incineration, supercompaction and cementation. Final product is waste package (Fibre reinforced container with solidified waste) acceptable for near surface repository in Mochovce. Republic repository in Mochovce is built for disposal of short lived low and intermediate level waste. Next

  19. The role of natural glasses as analogues in projecting the long-term alteration of high-level nuclear waste glasses: Part 1

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mazer, J.J.

    1993-01-01

    The common observation of glasses persisting in natural environments for long periods of time (up to tens of millions of years) provides compelling evidence that these materials can be kinetically stable in a variety of subsurface environments. This paper reviews how natural and historical synthesized glasses can be employed as natural analogues for understanding and projecting the long-term alteration of high-level nuclear waste glasses. The corrosion of basaltic glass results in many of the same alteration features found in laboratory testing of the corrosion of high-level radioactive waste glasses. Evidence has also been found indicating similarities in the rate controlling processes, such as the effects of silica concentration on corrosion in groundwater and in laboratory leachates. Naturally altered rhyolitic glasses and tektites provide additional evidence that can be used to constrain estimates of long-term waste glass alteration. When reacted under conditions where water is plentiful, the corrosion for these glasses is dominated by network hydrolysis, while the corrosion is dominated by molecular water diffusion and secondary mineral formation under conditions where water contact is intermittent or where water is relatively scarce. Synthesized glasses that have been naturally altered result in alkali-depleted alteration features that are similar to those found for natural glasses and for nuclear waste glasses. The characteristics of these alteration features appear to be dependent on the alteration conditions which affect the dominant reaction processes during weathering. In all cases, care must be taken to ensure that the information being provided by natural analogues is related to nuclear waste glass corrosion in a clear and meaningful way

  20. Disposal of high level nuclear wastes: thermodynamic equilibrium and environment ethics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rana, M.A.

    2009-01-01

    Contamination of soil, water or air, due to a failure of containment or disposal of high level nuclear wastes, can potentially cause serious hazards to the environment or human health. Essential elements of the environment and radioactivity dangers to it are illustrated. Issues of high level nuclear waste disposal are discussed with a focus on thermodynamic equilibrium and environment ethics. Major aspects of the issues are analyzed and described briefly to build a perception of risks involved and ethical implications. Nuclear waste containment repository should be as close as possible to thermodynamic equilibrium. A clear demonstration about safety aspects of nuclear waste management is required in gaining public and political confidence in any possible scheme of permanent disposal. Disposal of high level nuclear waste offers a spectrum of environment connected challenges and a long term future of nuclear power depends on the environment friendly solution of the problem of nuclear wastes. (authors)

  1. Nuclear waste vs. democracy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Treichel, J.

    1999-01-01

    to power and money, people are forced to spend time away from paid employment and their everyday lives undertaking the difficult task of learning about this highly complicated, technical issue and then fighting to be effectively heard. The nuclear waste debate is a clear example of the increasing disconnect between federal decisions and local attitudes and it therefore results in public anger and opposition. This resistance can only be eliminated by halting the current plans and policies and beginning with a process that is based on protection of public well-being, ethically motivated, and open to public influence. Public trust and confidence must be established before decisions are made

  2. Towards standardized calculation tools for the Accelerator-Driven Systems and their application to various scenarios for nuclear waste transmutation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cometto, M.

    2003-01-01

    This thesis discusses the question of partitioning and transmutation of actinides and some long-lived fission products as a way of reducing the mass and radio-toxicity of wastes from nuclear power facilities. Numerical benchmarking and computational exercises carried out in related projects are discussed and the quantitative assessment of the advantages and drawbacks of various transmutation strategies are discussed, as is the role of Accelerator-Driven Systems (ADS) and Advanced Fast Reactors (FR) in advanced nuclear fuel cycles. According to the author, the study allows three main options in nuclear waste management - open cycle, plutonium recycling and the recycling of all actinides - to be compared. The last part of the dissertation is dedicated to two phase-out schemes employing either ASDs or critical reactors

  3. Nuclear safety. Living up to high expectations today, tomorrow

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jennekens, J.H.

    1986-10-01

    How safe is safe enough? In the nuclear energy field, whenever government, the nuclear industry, or independent researchers have presented the public with an answer to this question it has been met with a demand for more safety-related controls on the industry. It is doubtful whether doubling the $25 million budget of the Canadian Atomic Energy Control Board (AECB) would result in twice as much nuclear safety. It is disturbing that people feel there is not enough information; the much of the information the AECB makes available has been ignored. In the long term it is important that the public become confident in nuclear safety. It may be that some day all toxic waste will have to be managed as safely as nuclear waste

  4. Management of low- and intermediate level waste in Sweden

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Carlsson, Jan

    1999-01-01

    This presentation describes how the management of radioactive waste is organised in Sweden, where Swedish law places the responsibility for such management with the waste generators. The four nuclear utilities have formed a joint company, the Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Co., SKB, to handle the nuclear waste. The Swedish waste management system includes a final repository for short-lived low level waste (LLW) and intermediate level waste (ILW) and an interim storage facility for spent nuclear fuel and long-lived waste. Some very low-level, short-lived waste is disposed of in shallow-land repositories at the nuclear power stations. The final repository is situated in underground rock caverns close to the Forsmark nuclear power plant. The rock caverns have been excavated to a depth of more than 50 m beneath the Baltic Sea floor. LLW is compacted into bales or packaged in metal drums or cases that can be transported in standard freight containers. Radioactive materials used in other sectors such as hospitals are collected and packaged at Studsvik and later deposited in the deep repository. ILW is mixed with cement or bitumen and cast in cement or steel boxes or metal drums. The final repository has different chambers for different kinds of waste. The environmental impact of the repository is negligible. Because Sweden's nuclear power plants and the SKB facilities all are located on the coast, all the waste transport can be conducted by sea. The costs of managing and disposing of Sweden's nuclear waste are small compared to the price of electricity

  5. Science, society, and America's nuclear waste: Unit 3, The Nuclear Waste Policy Act

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1992-01-01

    This teachers guide is unit 3, the nuclear waste policy act, in a four-unit secondary curriculum. It is intended to provide information about scientific and societal issues related to the management of spent nuclear fuel from generation of electricity at nuclear powerplants and high-level radioactive waste from US national defense activities. The curriculum, supporting classroom activities, and teaching materials present a brief discussion of energy and electricity generation, including that produced at nuclear power plants; information on sources, amounts, location, and characteristics of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste; sources, types and effects of radiation; US policy for managing and disposing of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste and what other countries are doing; and the components of the nuclear waste management system

  6. Nuclear waste. Last stop Siberia?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Popova, L.

    2006-01-01

    Safe and environmentally sound management of nuclear waste and spent fuel is an unresolved problem of nuclear power. But unlike other nuclear nations, Russia has much more problems with nuclear waste. Russia inherited these problems from the military programs and decades of nuclear fuel cycle development. Nuclear waste continue to mount, while the government does not pay serious enough attention to the solution of the waste problem and considers to increase the capacity of nuclear power plants (NPPs). There are more than 1000 nuclear waste storages in Russia.1 More than 70 million tons of the solid waste has been accumulated by the year 2005, including 14 million tons of tails of the decommissioned uranium mine in the North Caucasus. President Putin said that ''infrastructure of the waste processing is extremely insufficient''. (orig.)

  7. Industrial Program of Waste Management - Cigeo Project - 13033

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Butez, Marc [Agence nationale pour la gestion des dechets radioactifs - Andra, 1-7, rue Jean Monnet 92298 Chatenay-Malabry (France); Bartagnon, Olivier; Gagner, Laurent [AREVA NC Tour AREVA 1 place de la Coupole 92084 Paris La Defense (France); Advocat, Thierry; Sacristan, Pablo [Commissariat a l' energie atomique et aux energies alternatives - CEA, CEA-SACLAY 91191 Gif sur Yvette Cedex (France); Beguin, Stephane [Electricite de France - EDF, Division Combustible Nucleaire, 1, Place Pleyel Site Cap Ampere93282 Saint Denis (France)

    2013-07-01

    The French Planning Act of 28 June 2006 prescribed that a reversible repository in a deep geological formation be chosen as the reference solution for the long-term management of high-level and intermediate-level long-lived radioactive waste. It also entrusted the responsibility of further studies and design of the repository (named Cigeo) upon the French Radioactive Waste Management Agency (Andra), in order for the review of the creation-license application to start in 2015 and, subject to its approval, the commissioning of the repository to take place in 2025. Andra is responsible for siting, designing, implementing, operating the future geological repository, including operational and long term safety and waste acceptance. Nuclear operators (Electricite de France (EDF), AREVA NC, and the French Commission in charge of Atomic Energy and Alternative Energies (CEA) are technically and financially responsible for the waste they generate, with no limit in time. They provide Andra, on one hand, with waste packages related input data, and on the other hand with their long term industrial experiences of high and intermediate-level long-lived radwaste management and nuclear operation. Andra, EDF, AREVA and CEA established a cooperation agreement for strengthening their collaborations in these fields. Within this agreement Andra and the nuclear operators have defined an industrial program for waste management. This program includes the waste inventory to be taken into account for the design of the Cigeo project and the structural hypothesis underlying its phased development. It schedules the delivery of the different categories of waste and defines associated flows. (authors)

  8. Industrial Program of Waste Management - Cigeo Project - 13033

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Butez, Marc; Bartagnon, Olivier; Gagner, Laurent; Advocat, Thierry; Sacristan, Pablo; Beguin, Stephane

    2013-01-01

    The French Planning Act of 28 June 2006 prescribed that a reversible repository in a deep geological formation be chosen as the reference solution for the long-term management of high-level and intermediate-level long-lived radioactive waste. It also entrusted the responsibility of further studies and design of the repository (named Cigeo) upon the French Radioactive Waste Management Agency (Andra), in order for the review of the creation-license application to start in 2015 and, subject to its approval, the commissioning of the repository to take place in 2025. Andra is responsible for siting, designing, implementing, operating the future geological repository, including operational and long term safety and waste acceptance. Nuclear operators (Electricite de France (EDF), AREVA NC, and the French Commission in charge of Atomic Energy and Alternative Energies (CEA) are technically and financially responsible for the waste they generate, with no limit in time. They provide Andra, on one hand, with waste packages related input data, and on the other hand with their long term industrial experiences of high and intermediate-level long-lived radwaste management and nuclear operation. Andra, EDF, AREVA and CEA established a cooperation agreement for strengthening their collaborations in these fields. Within this agreement Andra and the nuclear operators have defined an industrial program for waste management. This program includes the waste inventory to be taken into account for the design of the Cigeo project and the structural hypothesis underlying its phased development. It schedules the delivery of the different categories of waste and defines associated flows. (authors)

  9. Long-term management of radioactive waste. Ethics and the environment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pescatore, C.

    1999-01-01

    The protection of the environment and the ethical issues that it raises are important topics in the debate on the long-term management of radioactive waste. An overview of the general ethical principles developed in the wider context of the debate on the environment is presented and the specific case of the management of long-lived radioactive waste is addressed. (author)

  10. 2005 dossier. ANDRA's researches on the geological disposal of high-level and long-lived radioactive wastes. Results and perspectives

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2005-06-01

    This document makes a status of the researches carried out by the French national agency of radioactive wastes (ANDRA) about the geologic disposal of high-level and long-lived radioactive wastes in deep geologic formations (argilites and granites). Content: 1 - Research on deep disposal of radioactive waste: general interest task: Legislative framework, ANDRA scientific objectives, Inspections and assessments; 2 - Designing a safe and reversible disposal system: Repository safety, Reversibility: an essential requirement; 3 - Clay Research on a repository in a clay formation, A long research programme, Dossier 2005 Argile; 4 - Meuse/Haute-Marne site clay: Expected properties of the rock formation, Choice of argillite, Meuse/Haute-Marne site, Conclusions from 10 years of research at the Meuse/Haute-Marne site; 5 - Repository installations: Safe and reversible architecture, Disposal of B waste, Disposal of C waste, Possible disposal of spent fuel (CU); 6 - The disposal facility in operation: From waste packages reception to their disposal in cells, Stages of the progressive closure of engineered structures; 7 - Reversible management: Freedom of choice for future generations, Various closure stages; 8 - Long-term evolution of the repository: Apprehending the repository complexity Main evolutions expected, Slow and limited release of radioactive substances; 9 - Repository safety and impact on man: Several evolution scenarios, Normal evolution, Altered evolution; 10 - Granite Research on a repository in a granite formation: A global approach, Scientific co-operations, Dossier 2005 Granite; 11 - Characteristics of French granite formations: What properties are required for a repository?, Different types of granite formations; 12 - Repository installations: Repository design adapted to granite fractures, Clay seals to prevent water flows, Waste disposal packages ensuring long-term leak-tightness, Physical and chemical environment favourable for waste packages, Architecture

  11. The opalinus clay project - disposal of medium and highly-active nuclear wastes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mueller, U.

    2003-01-01

    This article describes the project to demonstrate the feasibility of disposing of long-living medium-active and highly-radioactive nuclear wastes in sedimentary rock in Switzerland. The disposal tasks to be carried out are reviewed and the solutions proposed are described, including short-term handling, intermediate storage and final disposal of low, medium and highly-active wastes. The present state of affairs is described and, in particular, the feasibility of implementing a final storage facility in the opalinus clay beds to be found in northern Switzerland. The project for such a facility in the wine-growing area of the canton of Zurich is described in detail, including the storage concept, the technology to be used and operational aspects as well as questions of safety

  12. Radiation and Thermal Effects on Used Nuclear Fuel and Nuclear Waste Forms

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Weber, William J. [Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States). Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering; Zhang, Yanwen [Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States). Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering

    2016-09-20

    This is the final report of the NEUP project “Radiation and Thermal Effects on Used Nuclear Fuel and Nuclear Waste Forms.” This project started on July 1, 2012 and was successfully completed on June 30, 2016. This report provides an overview of the main achievements, results and findings through the duration of the project. Additional details can be found in the main body of this report and in the individual Quarterly Reports and associated Deliverables of this project, which have been uploaded in PICS-NE. The objective of this research was to advance understanding and develop validated models on the effects of self-radiation from beta and alpha decay on the response of used nuclear fuel and nuclear waste forms during high-temperature interim storage and long-term permanent disposition. To achieve this objective, model used-fuel materials and model waste form materials were identified, fabricated, and studied.

  13. The needs of basic chemistry studies for nuclear waste management issues

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Guillaumont, R

    2004-07-01

    There are several strategies to manage the radioactive matter which has taken the status of 'ultimate radwaste'. They are based on combinations of the three primary strategies: 'Wait for Decay', 'Concentrate and Confine' and 'Disperse and Dilute' the radio-toxic radionuclides and chemo-toxic elements. They are, or will be used for safe storage (interim and long term) or safe disposal of nuclear wastes. The chemical needs to apply these strategies are on materials for isolation, matrices for confinement and on the numerous aspects of the migration of the elements, both in the lithosphere and in the biosphere. According to the ultimate fate of long lived radionuclides which will be finally released into the environment, migration studies of elements are, or should be, the driving force of research in nuclear wastes management. The chemical needs for improving our present basic knowledge related to this field will be reviewed, with emphasis on some new topics and on the effects of concentration of the elements when they migrate. The necessity to open some 'dark boxes' will be outlined. The paper does not intend to give programs of researches but only tracks for future research. (authors)

  14. Radioactive wastes. The management of nuclear wastes. Waste workshop, first half-year - Year 2013-2014

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Esteoulle, Lucie; Rozwadowski, Elodie; Duverger, Clara

    2014-01-01

    The first part of this report first presents radioactive wastes with their definition, and their classification (radioactivity level, radioactive half-life). It addresses the issue of waste storage by presenting the different types of storage used since the 1950's (offshore storage, surface warehousing, storage in deep geological layer), and by discussing the multi-barrier approach used for storage safety. The authors then present the French strategy which is defined in the PNGMDR to develop new management modes on the long term, to improve existing management modes, and to take important events which occurred between 2010 and 2012 into account. They also briefly present the Cigeo project (industrial centre of geological storage), and evoke controversies related to the decision to locate this project in Bure (existence of geological cracks and defects, stability and tightness of the clay layer, geothermal potential of the region, economic cost). The second part proposes an overview of the issue of nuclear waste management. The author recalls the definition of a radioactive waste, indicates the origins of these wastes and their classification. She proposes a history of the radioactive waste: discovery of radioactivity, military industrialisation and awareness of the dangerousness of radioactive wastes, nuclear wastes and recent incidents (West Valley, La Hague, Windscale). An overview of policies of nuclear waste management is given: immersion of radioactive wastes, major accidental releases, solutions on the short term and on the medium term

  15. Effects of beta/gamma radiation on nuclear waste glasses

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Weber, W.J. [Pacific Northwest National Lab., Richland, WA (United States)

    1997-07-01

    A key challenge in the disposal of high-level nuclear waste (HLW) in glass waste forms is the development of models of long-term performance based on sound scientific understanding of relevant phenomena. Beta decay of fission products is one source of radiation that can impact the performance of HLW glasses through the interactions of the emitted {beta}-particles and g-rays with the atoms in the glass by ionization processes. Fused silica, alkali silicate glasses, alkali borosilicate glasses, and nuclear waste glasses are all susceptible to radiation effects from ionization. In simple glasses, defects (e.g., non-bridging oxygen and interstitial molecular oxygen) are observed experimentally. In more complex glasses, including nuclear waste glasses, similar defects are expected, and changes in microstructure, such as the formation of bubbles, have been reported. The current state of knowledge regarding the effects of {beta}/{gamma} radiation on the properties and microstructure of nuclear waste glasses are reviewed. (author)

  16. Effects of beta/gamma radiation on nuclear waste glasses

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Weber, W.J.

    1997-01-01

    A key challenge in the disposal of high-level nuclear waste (HLW) in glass waste forms is the development of models of long-term performance based on sound scientific understanding of relevant phenomena. Beta decay of fission products is one source of radiation that can impact the performance of HLW glasses through the interactions of the emitted β-particles and g-rays with the atoms in the glass by ionization processes. Fused silica, alkali silicate glasses, alkali borosilicate glasses, and nuclear waste glasses are all susceptible to radiation effects from ionization. In simple glasses, defects (e.g., non-bridging oxygen and interstitial molecular oxygen) are observed experimentally. In more complex glasses, including nuclear waste glasses, similar defects are expected, and changes in microstructure, such as the formation of bubbles, have been reported. The current state of knowledge regarding the effects of β/γ radiation on the properties and microstructure of nuclear waste glasses are reviewed. (author)

  17. Chemical aspects of nuclear waste treatment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bond, W.D.

    1980-01-01

    The chemical aspects of the treatment of gaseous, liquid, and solid wastes are discussed in overview. The role of chemistry and the chemical reactions in waste treatment are emphasized. Waste treatment methods encompass the chemistry of radioactive elements from every group of the periodic table. In most streams, the radioactive elements are present in relatively low concentrations and are often associated with moderately large amounts of process reagents, or materials. In general, it is desirable that waste treatment methods are based on chemistry that is selective for the concentration of radionuclides and does not require the addition of reagents that contribute significantly to the volume of the treated waste. Solvent extraction, ion exchange, and sorbent chemistry play a major role in waste treatment because of the high selectivity provided for many radionuclides. This paper deals with the chemistry of the onsite treatment methods that is typically used at nuclear installations and is not concerned with the chemistry of the various alternative materials proposed for long-term storage of nuclear wastes. The chemical aspects are discussed from a generic point of view in which the chemistry of important radionuclides is emphasized

  18. Public attitudes regarding nuclear wastes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rankin, W.L.

    1978-01-01

    This paper traces the history of public attitudes regarding nuclear waste issues. A majority of the public has recently developed the attitude that nuclear wastes are a serious problem, and a small percentage of the public opposes nuclear power mainly because of nuclear waste issues. However, a majority of the public has confidence in the ability of technologists to solve the problems associated with nuclear waste disposal. Finally, the attitudes of nuclear technologists regarding waste disposal differed greatly from the attitudes of other groups, especially environmentalists

  19. WNA position statement on safe management of nuclear waste and used nuclear fuel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saint-Pierre, S.

    2006-01-01

    This World nuclear association (W.N.A.) Position Statement summarizes the worldwide nuclear industry's record, progress and plans in safely managing nuclear waste and used nuclear fuel. The global industry's safe waste management practices cover the entire nuclear fuel-cycle, from the mining of uranium to the long-term disposal of end products from nuclear power reactors. The Statement's aim is to provide, in clear and accurate terms, the nuclear industry's 'story' on a crucially important subject often clouded by misinformation. Inevitably, each country and each company employs a management strategy appropriate to a specific national and technical context. This Position Statement reflects a confident industry consensus that a common dedication to sound practices throughout the nuclear industry worldwide is continuing to enhance an already robust global record of safe management of nuclear waste and used nuclear fuel. This text focuses solely on modern civil programmes of nuclear-electricity generation. It does not deal with the substantial quantities of waste from military or early civil nuclear programmes. These wastes fall into the category of 'legacy activities' and are generally accepted as a responsibility of national governments. The clean-up of wastes resulting from 'legacy activities' should not be confused with the limited volume of end products that are routinely produced and safely managed by today's nuclear energy industry. On the significant subject of 'Decommissioning of Nuclear Facilities', which is integral to modern civil nuclear power programmes, the W.N.A. will offer a separate Position Statement covering the industry's safe management of nuclear waste in this context. The safe management of nuclear waste and used nuclear fuel is a widespread, well-demonstrated reality. This strong safety record reflects a high degree of nuclear industry expertise and of industry responsibility toward the well-being of current and future generations

  20. Specific transport and storage solutions: Waste management facing current and future stakes of the nuclear fuel cycle

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Deniau, Helene; Gagner, Laurent; Gendreau, Francoise; Presta, Anne

    2006-01-01

    With major projects ongoing or being planned, and also with the daily management of radioactive waste from nuclear facilities, the role of transport and/or storage packaging has been often overlooked. Indeed, the packaging development process and transport solutions implemented are a key part of the waste management challenge: protection of people and environment. During over four decades, the AREVA Group has developed a complete and coherent system for the transport of waste produced by nuclear industries. The transport solutions integrate the factors to consider, as industrial transportation needs, various waste forms, associated hazards and current regulations. Thus, COGEMA LOGISTICS has designed, licensed and manufactured a large number of different transport, storage and dual purpose cask models for residues and all kinds of radioactive wastes. The present paper proposes to illustrate how a company acting both as a cask designer and a carrier is key to the waste management issue and how it can support the waste management policy of nuclear producers through their operational choices. We will focus on the COGEMA LOGISTICS technical solutions implemented to guarantee safe and secure transportation and storage solutions. We will describe different aspects of the cask design process, insisting on how it enables to fulfill both customer needs and regulation requirements. We will also mention the associated services developed by the AREVA Business Unit Logistics (COGEMA LOGISTICS, TRANSNUCLEAR, MAINCO, and LEMARECHAL CELESTIN) in order to manage transportation of liquid and solid waste towards interim or final storage sites. The paper has the following contents: About radioactive waste; - Radioactive waste classification; - High level activity waste and long-lived intermediate level waste; - Long-lived low level waste; - Short-lived low- and intermediate level waste; - Very low level waste; - The radioactive waste in nuclear fuel cycle; - Packaging design and

  1. Nuclear waste landscapes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Solomon, B.D.; Cameron, D.M.

    1990-01-01

    In this paper the authors explore the time dimension in nuclear waste disposal, with the hope of untangling future land use issues for a full range of radioactive waste facilities. The longevity and hazards presented by nuclear reactor irradiated (spent) fuel and liquid reprocessing waste are well known. Final repositories for these highly radioactive wastes, to be opened early in the 21st Century, are to be located deep underground in rural locations throughout the developed world. Safety concerns are addressed by engineered and geological barriers containing the waste containers, as well as through geographic isolation from heavily populated areas. Yet nuclear power plants (as well as other applications of atomic energy) produce an abundance of other types of radioactive wastes. These materials are generally known as low level wastes (LLW) in the United States, though their level of longevity and radioactivity can vary dramatically

  2. Can nuclear waste be stored safely at Yucca mountain?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Whipple, C.G.

    1996-01-01

    In 1987 the federal government narrowed to one its long-term options for disposing of nuclear waste: storing it permanently in a series of caverns excavated out of the rock deep below Yucca mountain in southern Nevada. Whether it makes sense at this time to dispose permanently of spent fuel and radioactive waste in a deep geologic repository is hotly disputed. But the Nuclear Waste Policy Act amendements of 1987 decree that waste be consolidated in Yucca Mountain if the mountain is found suitable. Meanwhile the spent fuel continues to pile up across the country, and 1998 looms, adding urgency to the question: What can science tell us about the ability of the mountain to store nuclear waste safely? This paper discusses this issue and describes how studies of the mountain's history and geology can contribute useful insights but not unequivocal conclusions

  3. New approaches to solving the management problem of long-lived radionuclides

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Egorov, N.N.; Zakharov, M.A.; Lazarev, L.N.; Lyubtsev, R.I.; Nikiforov, A.S.; Strakhov, M.V.; Filippov, E.A.

    1991-01-01

    During spent fuel reprocessing the most dangerous long-lived radionuclides are present both in off-gases on the stage of cutting and dissolution and mainly in highly radioactive raffinates arising from the first extraction cycle. In the last years the investigators of the Soviet Union are more and more led to the conclusion that the more reasonable combination of routine methods for waste management and new technical approaches could contribute to the profound solution of this problem. Estimations and specific development are focused on the followings; partitioning of long-lived radionuclides; improvement of solidification methods; substantiation of possibilities for transmutation of long-lived radionuclides; evaluation of potentialities for disposal of radioactive wastes into outer space. Many sided elaborations are needed for the realization of such concept; the most necessary developments have been already performed in some research programs. International cooperation in this field is likely to approach solving the settled problem. (M.N.)

  4. Mining and engineering aspects and variants for the underground construction of a deep geological repository for radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Milchev, M.; Michailov, B.; Nanovska, E.; Harizanov, A.

    2003-01-01

    The aim of the present report is to investigate and to describe systematically the foreign experience, scientific and technical achievements and stages of development concerning the mining and engineering aspects and variants for underground construction of a deep geological repository for radioactive waste (RAW) and spent nuclear fuel (SNF). The ideal solution in managing the problems with harmful wastes seems to be either to remove them permanently from Earth (which is related with high risks and high costs) or to transform long-lived radionuclides to short-lived radionuclides using nuclear transmutation processes in a reactor or a particle accelerator. The latter is also a complex and immensely costly process and it can only reduce the quantities of some long-lived radionuclides, which can be then disposed in a geological repository. At present, the deep geological disposal remains the only solution for solving the problem with the hazard of storing radioactive wastes. The report submits a brief description and systematization of the performed investigations, accompanied by analysis of the scientific and technical level on world scale. The analysis is related with the particular geological conditions and the existing scientific studies available so far in Bulgaria. The main conclusions are that the complex scientific-technical and engineering problems related with the construction of a deep geological repository for RAW and SNF require long-term scientific investigations and preliminary complex works and it is high time to launch them in Bulgaria. (authors)

  5. Mineral-modeled ceramics for long-term storage of high-level nuclear wastes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vance, E.R.

    1980-01-01

    Over the past ten years, Penn State's Materials Research Laboratory has done extensive work on mineral-modeled ceramics for high-level nuclear waste storage. These ceramics are composed of several mineral analogues that form a monolithic polycrystalline aggregate. Mineral-modeling can be made in a similar fashion to nuclear waste glasses, and their naturally occurring analogues are known to last millions, and even billions, of years in hot, wet conditions. It is believed that such ceramics could reduce dispersal of radionuclides by leaching to a minimum

  6. ICRP PUBLICATION 122: radiological protection in geological disposal of long-lived solid radioactive waste.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weiss, W; Larsson, C-M; McKenney, C; Minon, J-P; Mobbs, S; Schneider, T; Umeki, H; Hilden, W; Pescatore, C; Vesterlind, M

    2013-06-01

    This report updates and consolidates previous recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) related to solid waste disposal (ICRP, 1985, 1997b, 1998). The recommendations given apply specifically to geological disposal of long-lived solid radioactive waste. The report explains how the ICRP system of radiological protection described in Publication 103 (ICRP, 2007) can be applied in the context of the geological disposal of long-lived solid radioactive waste. Although the report is written as a standalone document, previous ICRP recommendations not dealt with in depth in the report are still valid. The 2007 ICRP system of radiological protection evolves from the previous process-based protection approach relying on the distinction between practices and interventions by moving to an approach based on the distinction between three types of exposure situation: planned, emergency and existing. The Recommendations maintains the Commission's three fundamental principles of radiological protection namely: justification, optimisation of protection and the application of dose limits. They also maintain the current individual dose limits for effective dose and equivalent dose from all regulated sources in planned exposure situations. They re-enforce the principle of optimisation of radiological protection, which applies in a similar way to all exposure situations, subject to restrictions on individual doses: constraints for planned exposure situations, and reference levels for emergency and existing exposure situations. The Recommendations also include an approach for developing a framework to demonstrate radiological protection of the environment. This report describes the different stages in the life time of a geological disposal facility, and addresses the application of relevant radiological protection principles for each stage depending on the various exposure situations that can be encountered. In particular, the crucial factor that

  7. ICRP PUBLICATION 122: Radiological Protection in Geological Disposal of Long-lived Solid Radioactive Waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Weiss, W.; Larsson, C-M.; McKenney, C.; Minon, J-P.; Mobbs, S.; Schneider, T.; Umeki, H.; Hilden, W.; Pescatore, C.; Vesterlind, M.

    2013-01-01

    This report updates and consolidates previous recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) related to solid waste disposal (ICRP, 1985, 1997b, 1998). The recommendations given apply specifically to geological disposal of long-lived solid radioactive waste. The report explains how the ICRP system of radiological protection described in Publication 103 (ICRP, 2007) can be applied in the context of the geological disposal of long-lived solid radioactive waste. Although the report is written as a standalone document, previous ICRP recommendations not dealt with in depth in the report are still valid. The 2007 ICRP system of radiological protection evolves from the previous process-based protection approach relying on the distinction between practices and interventions by moving to an approach based on the distinction between three types of exposure situation: planned, emergency and existing. The Recommendations maintains the Commission’s three fundamental principles of radiological protection namely: justification, optimisation of protection and the application of dose limits. They also maintain the current individual dose limits for effective dose and equivalent dose from all regulated sources in planned exposure situations. They re-enforce the principle of optimisation of radiological protection, which applies in a similar way to all exposure situations, subject to restrictions on individual doses: constraints for planned exposure situations, and reference levels for emergency and existing exposure situations. The Recommendations also include an approach for developing a framework to demonstrate radiological protection of the environment. This report describes the different stages in the life time of a geological disposal facility, and addresses the application of relevant radiological protection principles for each stage depending on the various exposure situations that can be encountered. In particular, the crucial factor that

  8. Long-term management of wastes resulting from dismantling operations. Storing the very low-level activity wastes at Morvilliers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Duret, F.; Dutzer, M.; Beranger, V.; Lecoq, P.

    2003-01-01

    Extension of dismantling operations in France in the years to come poses the question of availability of long-term waste facility. Large amount of such wastes will be produced after progressive shutdown of the 58 pressurized water reactors now in operation, not before 2010. However, France is already confronted with dismantling of 9 power reactors (6 of which of gas cooled graphite type), the first reprocessing plant at Marcoule, as well as, dismantling of other installations, for instance the CEA reactors or laboratories. The systems of processing the dismantling waste are not different from those used for wastes resulting from nuclear operations. For the high-level or long-term intermediate level activity disposal the debates must start by 2006, as based on the results of the research conducted according to different provisions of the December 30, 1991 law. These wastes represent however small amounts from the dismantling (around 2000 t for the 9 reactors at shutdown) and they will be stored until a decision will be made. A specific storing system should be implemented by 2008-2010 for the graphite wastes (around 23,000 t) which contain significant amount of long-lived radioelements, although their gross activity is low. But the most significant amount will come from low-level or intermediate-level of short lifetime or from wastes of very low activity. The first category is stored at Storage Center at Aube (CSA), its capacity being of 1,000,000 m 3 of drums. The total volume stored by the end of 2002 amounted 136,500 m 3 with an annual delivering of 12-15,000 m 3 at design rate of 30,000 m 3 /y. This center will be able to absorb the flux increase resulting from dismantling of the decommissioned nuclear installations (around 50,000 t from the dismantling of the 9 power reactor). The Center at Aube can be also adapted for storing wastes of large sizes as for instance the lid of the reactor vessel. According to the French regulation, the wastes produced within a

  9. Thermodynamic model of natural, medieval and nuclear waste glass durability

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jantzen, C.M.; Plodinec, M.J.

    1983-01-01

    A thermodynamic model of glass durability based on hydration of structural units has been applied to natural glass, medieval window glasses, and glasses containing nuclear waste. The relative durability predicted from the calculated thermodynamics correlates directly with the experimentally observed release of structural silicon in the leaching solution in short-term laboratory tests. By choosing natural glasses and ancient glasses whose long-term performance is known, and which bracket the durability of waste glasses, the long-term stability of nuclear waste glasses can be interpolated among these materials. The current Savannah River defense waste glass formulation is as durable as natural basalt from the Hanford Reservation (10 6 years old). The thermodynamic hydration energy is shown to be related to the bond energetics of the glass. 69 references, 2 figures, 1 table

  10. Nuclear Waste Management under Approaching Disaster

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ilg, Patrick; Gabbert, Silke; Weikard, Hans Peter

    2017-01-01

    This article compares different strategies for handling low- and medium-level nuclear waste buried in a retired potassium mine in Germany (Asse II) that faces significant risk of uncontrollable brine intrusion and, hence, long-term groundwater contamination. We survey the policy process that has

  11. Review of biotechnology applications to nuclear waste treatment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ashley, N.V.; Roach, D.J.W.

    1990-01-01

    This paper gives an overview of the feasibility of the application of biotechnology to nuclear waste treatment. Many living and dead organisms accumulate heavy metals and radionuclides. The controlled use of this phenomenon forms the basis for the application of biotechnology to the removal of radionuclides from nuclear waste streams. An overview of biotechnology areas, namely the use of biopolymers and biosorption using biomass applicable to the removal of radionuclides from industrial nuclear effluents is given. The potential of biomagnetic separation technology, genetic engineering and monoclonal antibody technology is also to be examined. The most appropriate technologies to develop for radionuclide removal in the short term appear to be those based on biosorption of radionuclides by biomass and the use of modified and unmodified biopolymers in the medium term. (author)

  12. APEX nuclear fuel cycle for production of LWR fuel and elimination of radioactive waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Steinberg, M.; Powell, J.R.

    1981-08-01

    The development of a nuclear fission fuel cycle is proposed which eliminates all the radioactive fission product waste effluent and the need for geological-age high level waste storage and provides a long term supply of fissile fuel for an LWR power reactor economy. The fuel cycle consists of reprocessing LWR spent fuel (1 to 2 years old) to remove the stable nonradioactive (NRFP, e.g. lanthanides, etc.) and short-lived fission products SLFP e.g. half-lives of (1 to 2 years) and returning, in dilute form, the long-lived fission products, ((LLFPs, e.g. 30 y half-life Cs, Sr, and 10 y Kr, and 16 x 10 6 y I) and the transuranics (TUs, e.g. Pu, Am, Cm, and Np) to be refabricated into fresh fuel elements. Makeup fertile and fissile fuel are to be supplied through the use of a Spallator (linear accelerator spallation-target fuel-producer). The reprocessing of LWR fuel elements is to be performed by means of the Chelox process which consists of Airox treatment (air oxidation and hydrogen reduction) followed by chelation with an organic reagent (β-diketonate) and vapor distillation of the organometallic compounds for separation and partitioning of the fission products

  13. Laser enhanced radioactive decay and selective transmutation of nuclear waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saloman, R.; Aarnio, P.; Ala-Heikkila, J.; Hakola, A.; Santala, M.

    2007-01-01

    We have investigated narrow-band coherent laser radiation - ranging from visible to X- and to gamma-ray wave length region - and their interactions both directly with photon-nuclear couplings and indirectly through the photon-electron and electron-nucleus interactions. In particular we discuss various means of selective excitation of nuclear resonance states by narrowband lasers. During the relaxation process the active nucleus may return to its initial ground-state or find another final state. In the latter case the nucleus is transmuted into a state which may have beneficial properties for instance concerning radioactivity. One ideal case would be the destruction of long-lived nuclear waste isotopes into faster decaying ones. The essential presumption is that the excitation process is selective and efficient as regards background processes due to unwanted excitation channels of the primary isotope and due to other surrounding nuclides. The paper consists of 1) a short review of generating short-wave length coherent light sources, 2) a survey of potential photon-induced nuclear states and their decay channels, and 3) a determination of the selectivity of the transmutation process

  14. First results and future trends for the transmutation of long-lived radioactive wastes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Prunier, C.; Salvatores, M.; Guerin, Y.; Zaetta, A.

    1993-01-01

    In the frame of the CEA SPIN program, a project has been set-up at the Direction of Nuclear Reactors of CEA, to study the transmutation of long-lived radioactive products (both minor actinides and fission products) resulting from the operation of current nuclear power plants. The program is focused on: transmutation in minor actinides (Np, Am) in fission reactors of known technology (both of the PWR or the fast reactor type), using the so-called ''homogeneous'' (mixed with Uranium or Uranium-Plutonium), and ''heterogeneous'' (mixed with inert matrices) recycling modes for both type of reactors. Transmutation studies in dedicated devices (both fission reactors with actinide/plutonium fuel or with high thermal flux, and particle accelerator-based systems). Fuel studies related to both homogeneous and heterogeneous recycling modes in fission reactors. For the homogeneous recycling mode, some experimental irradiations results are available from past PHENIX programs. For the heterogeneous mode, very limited experimental results are available, and new theoretical and experimental work is underway on the use of appropriate inert matrices. Basic data studies to assess the quality of existing nuclear data for fission reactor transmutation studies, future data needs of relevance, and model/data developments needed for accelerator-based systems. Strategy studies, to evaluate the consequences of the different transmutation options on the fuel cycle, according to different scenarios of nuclear power development. 7 refs., 3 figs., 5 tabs

  15. The management of the radioactive waste generated by the EDF nuclear power plants in service

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lantes, B.; Beguin, St.

    2011-01-01

    From the very beginning of France's nuclear power programme, EDF has developed industrial-scale management of the waste it produces, which has constantly progressed in line with changes in the regulations and the available technology. This management process, improved thanks to feedback and experience, ensures that any risk of exposure, at every stage, from production to final disposal, is controlled. The guidelines adopted by EDF for sustainable management of its waste are as follows: -) reduce the quantity of waste, from the production stage and then through recycling and reprocessing; -) sort waste according to its nature and activity level, so that it can be processed and packaged appropriately and the appropriate long-term management solution implemented; -) package waste as soon as it is produced to prevent any risk of dispersion; -) store waste, pending decay or the availability of an appropriate disposal solution; -) transport and place waste in repositories, keeping it away from Man and the environment by means of engineered or natural barriers for as long as required for the radioactivity to decay to an acceptable level. Regarding short-lived waste produced during operating and maintenance activities at power plants in service, EDF currently implements fully-integrated industrial management solutions which are constantly being optimised in conjunction with its industrial partners. (authors)

  16. Low-level radioactive waste from nuclear power generating stations: Characterization, classification and assessment of activated metals and waste streams

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thomas, V.W.; Robertson, D.E.; Thomas, C.W.

    1993-02-01

    Since the enactment of 10 CFR Part 61, additional difficult-to-measure long-lived radionuclides, not specified in Tables 1 2 of Part 61, have been identified (e.g., 108m Ag, 93 Mo, 36 Cl, 10 Be, 113m Cd, 121m Sn, 126 Sn, 93m Nb) that may be of concern in certain types of waste. These nuclides are primarily associated with activated metal and perhaps other nuclear power low-level waste (LLW) being sent to disposal facilities. The concentration of a radionuclide in waste materials is normally determined by direct measurement or by indirect calculational methods, such as using a scaling factor to relate inferred concentration of a difficult-to-measure radionuclide to another that is easily measured. The total disposal site inventory of certain difficult-to-measure radionuclides (e.g., 14 C, 129 I, and 99 Tc) often control the total quantities of radioactive waste permitted in LLW burial facilities. Overly conservative scaling factors based on lower limits of detection (LLD), often used in the nuclear power industry to estimate these controlling nuclides, could lead to premature closure of a disposal facility. Samples of LLW (Class B and C activated metals [AM] and other waste streams) are being collected from operating nuclear power stations and analyzed for radionuclides covered in 10 CFR Part 61 and the additional difficult-to-measure radionuclides. This analysis will enhance the NRC's understanding of the distribution and projected quantities of radionuclides within AM and LLW streams from commercial nuclear power stations. This research will also provide radiological characterization of AM specimens for others to use in leach-rate and lysimeter experiments to determine nuclide releases and subsequent movement in natural soil environments

  17. Nuclear wastes: lets talk about

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1995-01-01

    This colloquium is entirely devoted to the problem of nuclear wastes management and to the anxiety of the French public opinion with respect to radioactive wastes in general. Nuclear wastes, generally are perceived as the unique problem of nuclear industry and as a new and unknown problem for which no solutions have been proposed so far. The aim of this colloquium is to demonstrate that such solutions exist and that, probably, they have been more thoroughly examined than in other industrial sectors. The two first talks give the inventory of possible solutions and the policy followed by nuclear operators for the conditioning and packaging of radioactive wastes. The other talks give the point of view of the producers and of the managers of nuclear wastes and the legal aspects of the management and storage of nuclear wastes, in particular the December 30, 1991 law. A particular attention is given to the importance of communication and public information in the successful management of nuclear wastes. (J.S.)

  18. Licence applications for low and intermediate level waste predisposal facilities: A manual for operators

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2009-07-01

    This publication covers all predisposal waste management facilities and practices for receipt, pretreatment (sorting, segregation, characterization), treatment, conditioning, internal relocation and storage of low and intermediate level radioactive waste, including disused sealed radioactive sources. The publication contains an Annex presenting the example of a safety assessment for a small radioactive waste storage facility. Facilities dealing with both short lived and long lived low and intermediate level waste generated from nuclear applications and from operation of small nuclear research reactors are included in the scope. Processing and storage facilities for high activity disused sealed sources and sealed sources containing long lived radionuclides are also covered. The publication does not cover facilities processing or storing radioactive waste from nuclear power plants or any other industrial scale nuclear fuel cycle facilities. Disposal facilities are excluded from the scope of this publication. Authorization process can be implemented in several stages, which may start at the site planning and the feasibility study stage and will continue through preliminary design, final design, commissioning, operation and decommissioning stages. This publication covers primarily the authorization needed to take the facility into operation

  19. Radioactive wastes of Nuclear Industry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1995-01-01

    This conference studies the radioactive waste of nuclear industry. Nine articles and presentations are exposed here; the action of the direction of nuclear installations safety, the improvement of industrial proceedings to reduce the waste volume, the packaging of radioactive waste, the safety of radioactive waste disposal and environmental impact studies, a presentation of waste coming from nuclear power plants, the new waste management policy, the international panorama of radioactive waste management, the international transport of radioactive waste, finally an economic analysis of the treatment and ultimate storage of radioactive waste. (N.C.)

  20. A look at new key performance criteria that could most affect the safety of long term storage of nuclear waste. A case study commissioned by CEA

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marvy, A.; Lioure, A.; Heriard-Dubreuil, G.; Gadbois, S.; Schneider, T.; Schieber, C

    2002-01-01

    As part of the work scope set in the French law on high level long lived waste R and D passed in 1991, CEA is conducting research work to establish the scientific basis and assess the feasibility of long term storage as an option for the safe management of nuclear waste for periods as long as a few centuries. This goal is a significant departure from current industrial practice where storage facilities are usually built to last only a few decades. From a technical viewpoint such an extension in time seems feasible provided care and maintenance is exercised. Considering such long periods of time risk for Society of loosing oversight and control of such a facility is real which triggers the question of whether and how long term storage safety can be actually achieved. Therefore CEA commissioned a study in which MUTADIS Consultants and CEPN were both involved. The case study looks into several past and actual human enterprises conducted over significant periods of time - one dating back to the end of the 18th century - and identified off the nuclear field. Then-prevailing societal behaviour and organizational structures are screened out to show how they were and are still able to cope with similar oversight and control goals. As a result the study group obtained a set of performance criteria relating to issues like responsibility, securing funds, legal and legislative implications, economic sustainable development, all being areas which are not traditionally considered when technical studies are conducted. These criteria can be most useful from the design stage onward, first in an attempt to define the facility construction and operating guiding principles, and thereafter to substantiate the safety case for long term storage and get geared to the public dialogue on that undertaking should it become a reality. (author)

  1. Nuclear waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1990-06-01

    DOE estimates that disposing of radioactive waste from civilian nuclear power plants and its defense-related nuclear facilities could eventually end up costing $32 billion. To pay for this, DOE collects fees from utilities on electricity generated by nuclear power plants and makes payments from its defense appropriation. This report states that unless careful attention is given to its financial condition, the nuclear waste program is susceptible to future shortfalls. Without a fee increase, the civilian-waste part of the program may already be underfunded by at least $2.4 billion (in discounted 1988 dollars). Also, DOE has not paid its share of cost-about $480 million-nor has it disclosed this liability in its financial records. Indexing the civilian fee to the inflation rate would address one major cost uncertainty. However, while DOE intends to do this at an appropriate time, it does not use a realistic rate of inflation as its most probable scenario in assessing whether that time has arrived

  2. Waste partitioning and transmutation as a means towards long-term risk reduction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Merz, E.R.

    1993-09-01

    It has been an idea for some time to reduce the long-term potential hazard of the waste by chemical removal of the actinides as well as some long-lived fission products and their subsequent transmutation in an intense neutron flux. Transmutation would thus shorten the required containment period of radioactive material in a repository. It is estimated, that development of such technology would take at least 40 years because facilities would be required to perform a clean actinide and fission product isolation and to fabricate the fuel elements that contained the separated nuclides. This latter requirements would involve a major expansion of new chemical process steps which are not available as yet. Development of new equipment to maintain occupational exposures as low as reasonably achievable and to minimize releases of radioactivity to the environment would also be necessary. Partitioning and transmutation should be introduced, if at all, as a long-term decision about new nuclear power technology as a future energy source. With regard to this, R and D work dealing with basic questions seems to be worthwhile, However, the introduction of partitioning and transmutation will not eliminate the need for radioactive waste disposal. (orig./HP) [de

  3. Radioactive waste management for German nuclear power plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Weh, R.; Methling, D.; Sappok, M.

    1996-01-01

    In Germany, back-end fuel cycle provisions must be made for the twenty nuclear power plants currently run by utilities with an aggregate installed power of 23.4 GWe, and the four nuclear power plants already shut down. In addition, there are the shut down nuclear power plants of the former German Democratic Republic, and a variety of decommissioned prototype nuclear power plants built with the participation of the federal government and by firms other than utilities. The nuclear power plants operated by utilities contribute roughly one third of the total electricity generation in public power plants, thus greatly ensuring a stable energy supply in Germany. The public debate in Germany, however, focuses less on the good economic performance of these plants, and the positive acceptance at their respective sites, but rather on their spent fuel and waste management which, allegedly, is not safe enough. The spent fuel and waste management of German nuclear power plants is planned on a long-term basis, and executed in a responsible way by proven technical means, in the light of the provisions of the Atomic Act. Each of the necessary steps of the back end of the fuel cycle is planned and licensed in accordance with German nuclear law provisions. The respective facilities are built, commissioned, and monitored in operation with the dedicated assistance of expert consultants and licensing authorities. Stable boundary conditions are a prerequisite in ensuring the necessary stability in planning and running waste management schemes. As producers of waste, nuclear power plants are responsible for safe waste management and remain the owners of that waste until it has been accepted by a federal repository. (orig./DG) [de

  4. Characterization and inventories of nuclear materials and wastes for possible future energy scenarios

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arthur, E.D.

    1997-10-01

    Awareness of the total materials inventory and materials balance associated with differing methods for energy generation is part of present day concerns associated with disparate areas that include atmospheric emissions, resource utilization, health effects, and both current and long term hazards and risks. Nuclear energy, for a number of decades, has been the recipient of significant scrutiny concerning the materials and wastes it generates, particularly in the context of long term solutions to such issues. This paper examines the nuclear materials and waste generation for nuclear energy scenarios spanning the coming century. The paper also briefly addresses wastes (in the form of emissions) from other energy sources and examines requirements associated with backend energy system materials management. Possible future requirements pertaining to CO 2 management are found to place conditions upon waste management generally similar to those for nuclear waste. One example of material flows for the case of coal generation of electricity coupled with carbon sequestration is also given

  5. Nuclear waste management and problems arising from constitutional law

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rauschning, D.

    1983-01-01

    The author discusses the problems arising in the field of nuclear waste management on account of the constitutional law. Especially the difficulties emanating from the conflict between the provisions of section 9a of the Atomic Energy Act and the provisions of constitutional law are dealt with in detail, referring to the monography of H. Hofmann, 'legal aspects of nuclear waste management'. The author comes to the conclusion that the reqquirements laid down in section 9a-9c of the Atomic Energy Act are in agreement with the Basic law. There is, he says, no unreasonable risk for future generations, as the provisions of the nuclear law provide for sufficient safety of sites and equipment selected for the final storage of nuclear waste, ensuring that radioactive leakage is excluded over long periods of time. In the second part of his lecture, the author discusses the problem of competency and delegation of authority with regard to the reprocessing of radioactive waste. (BW) [de

  6. Spallator and APEX nuclear fuel cycle: a new option for nuclear power

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Steinberg, M.

    1982-01-01

    A new nuclear fuel cycle is described which provides a long term supply of nuclear fuel for the thermal LWR nuclear power reactors and eliminates the need for long-term storage of radioactive waste. Fissile fuel is produced by the Spallator which depends on the production of spallation neutrons by the interaction of high-energy (1 to 2 GeV) protons on a heavy-metal target. The neutrons are absorbed in a surrounding natural-uranium or thorium blanket in which fissile Pu-239 to U-233 is produced. Advances in linear accelerator technology makes it possible to design and construct a high-beam-current continuous-wave proton linac for production purposes. The target is similar to a sub-critical reactor and produces heat which is converted to electricity for supplying the linac. The Spallator is a self-sufficient fuel producer, which can compete with the fast breeder. The APEX fuel cycle depends on recycling the transuranics and long-lived fission products while extracting the stable and short-lived fission products when reprocessing the fuel. Transmutation and decay within the fuel cycle and decay of short-lived fission products external to the fuel cycle eliminates the need for long-term geological age shortage of fission-product waste

  7. Spallator and APEX nuclear fuel cycle: a new option for nuclear power

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Steinberg, M.

    1982-01-01

    A new nuclear fuel cycle is described which provides a long term supply of nuclear fuel for the thermal LWR nuclear power reactors and eliminates the need for long-term storage of radioactive waste. Fissile fuel is produced by the Spallator which depends on the production of spallation neutrons by the interaction of high-energy (1 to 2 GeV) protons on a heavy-metal target. The neutrons are absorbed in a surrounding natural-uranium or thorium blanket in which fissile Pu-239 to U-233 is produced. Advances in linear accelerator technology makes it possible to design and construct a high-beam-current continuous-wave proton linac for production purposes. The target is similar to a sub-critical reactor and produces heat which is converted to electricity for supplying the linac. The Spallator is a self-sufficient fuel producer, which can compete with the fast breeder. The APEX fuel cycle depends on recycling the transuranics and long-lived fission products while extracting the stable and short-lived fission products when reprocessing the fuel. Transmutation and decay within the fuel cycle and decay of short-lived fission products external to the fuel cycle eliminates the need for long-term geological age shortage of fission-product waste.

  8. Nuclear waste disposal and terrestrial and radiological research: needs and perspectives

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Myttenaere, C.; Girardi, F.

    1982-01-01

    The safety assessment of the disposal of nuclear waste is complex. A multi-barrier approach may be adopted. In studying the various options, possible contamination of the environment resulting from a waste repository will have characteristics that are not usually considered in radiological and radioprotection studies. The transport of radioactivity through the geosphere is governed by mechanisms controlling the migration of nuclides leached from the waste by groundwater. Experimental results demonstrate that these mechanisms are complex and consist of several processes not always related to reversible equilibrium reactions (e.g. colloidal filtration). On the other hand, the terrestrial cycle may be capable of altering in the long-term the bio-available fraction of certain radioelements by repeated biological processes. Data on natural long-lived radionuclides in the biosphere have given useful information on trends in long-term behaviour. Moreover, information now becoming available on the impact on mankind contests the validity of the linear no-threshold model for predicting dose/response relationships at low levels of radiation. Risk assessment appears to be an extremely difficult problem; however, by the use of uncertainty and sensitivity analysis of assessment models, the most important processes can probably be identified and research effort promoted. International co-ordination would also be required to obtain, in a reasonable time, the information required. (author)

  9. A comparative analysis of managing radioactive waste in the Canadian nuclear and non-nuclear industries

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Batters, S.; Benovich, I.; Gerchikov, M. [AMEC NSS Ltd., Toronto, ON (Canada)

    2011-07-01

    Management of radioactive waste in nuclear industries in Canada is tightly regulated. The regulated nuclear industries include nuclear power generation, uranium mining and milling, nuclear medicine, radiation research and education and industrial users of nuclear material (e.g. radiography, thickness gauges, etc). In contrast, management of Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material (NORM) waste is not regulated by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC), with the exception of transport above specified concentrations. Although these are radioactive materials that have always been present in various concentrations in the environment and in the tissues of every living animal, including humans, the hazards of similar quantities of NORM radionuclides are identical to those of the same or other radionuclides from regulated industries. The concentration of NORM in most natural substances is so low that the associated risk is generally regarded as negligible, however higher concentrations may arise as the result of industrial operations such as: oil and gas production, mineral extraction and processing (e.g. phosphate fertilizer production), metal recycling, thermal electric power generation, water treatment facilities. Health Canada has published the Canadian Guidelines for the Management of Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (NORM). This paper presents a comparative analysis of the requirements for management of radioactive waste in the regulated nuclear industries and of the guidelines for management of NORM waste. (author)

  10. A comparative analysis of managing radioactive waste in the Canadian nuclear and non-nuclear industries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Batters, S.; Benovich, I.; Gerchikov, M.

    2011-01-01

    Management of radioactive waste in nuclear industries in Canada is tightly regulated. The regulated nuclear industries include nuclear power generation, uranium mining and milling, nuclear medicine, radiation research and education and industrial users of nuclear material (e.g. radiography, thickness gauges, etc). In contrast, management of Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material (NORM) waste is not regulated by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC), with the exception of transport above specified concentrations. Although these are radioactive materials that have always been present in various concentrations in the environment and in the tissues of every living animal, including humans, the hazards of similar quantities of NORM radionuclides are identical to those of the same or other radionuclides from regulated industries. The concentration of NORM in most natural substances is so low that the associated risk is generally regarded as negligible, however higher concentrations may arise as the result of industrial operations such as: oil and gas production, mineral extraction and processing (e.g. phosphate fertilizer production), metal recycling, thermal electric power generation, water treatment facilities. Health Canada has published the Canadian Guidelines for the Management of Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (NORM). This paper presents a comparative analysis of the requirements for management of radioactive waste in the regulated nuclear industries and of the guidelines for management of NORM waste. (author)

  11. Nuclear waste for NT

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nelson, Brendan

    2005-01-01

    The Northern Territory may be powerless to block the dumping of low-level nuclear waste in the Territory under legislation introduced into Parliament by Minister for Education Science and Training, Dr Brendan Nelson, in October. Despite strong opposition to the dumping of nuclear waste in the NT, the Australian Government will be able to send waste to one of the three nominated Commonwealth-owned Defence sites within the NT under the Commonwealth Radioactive Waste Management Bill 2005 and the Commonwealth Radioactive Waste Management (Related Amendment) Bill 2005. The Bills veto recently drafted NT legislation designed to scuttle the plans. Low-level nuclear waste is stored at more than 100 sites around Australia, including hospitals, factories, universities and defence facilities. Medical isotopes produced at Lucas Heights and provided for medical procedures are the source of much of this waste, including some 16 cubic metres currently held at Darwin Hospital. Dr Nelson stressed that the Government would take all die necessary steps to comply with safety and regulatory precautions, including handling waste in line with relevant environmental, nuclear safety and proliferation safeguards

  12. Medium activity long-lived nuclear waste; microbial paradise or hadean environment - Evaluation of biomass and impact on redox conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Albrecht, A.; Libert, M.

    2010-01-01

    Document available in extended abstract form only. The evaluation of the impact of possible microbial activity in nuclear waste cells has been a subject for more than a quarter of a century. Some of the items of interest in relation to microbial impact on near field biogeochemistry indicated in Table 1 had already been known as pertinent. Recently, it became clear that a distinction needed to be made between high-level, vitrified waste and organic matter containing intermediate-level waste, of which the bituminized waste is used as an example here. For high-level waste the canister walls play an important safety role and the most probable limiting aspects, next to space and water, are the low concentrations in organic matter as a carbon source and phosphorous and nitrogen as essential elements. In this particular case, microbially induced corrosion is of primary concern. In the case of the French intermediate bituminized waste, primary interest is on the impact of microbial activity on redox reactions, with the high pH environment, as a consequence of the concrete engineered barrier, as the most probable limiting condition. The canister wall has no explicit long-term safety role and all components for microbial activity will become readily available. The presence of nitrates, sulphates and Fe(III) as electron acceptors and organic matter, hydrogen gas and zero-valent metals (i.e. Fe) as electron donors allows the system to supply energy for bacterial activity and to move through the entire redox sequence from O 2 (present only shortly after waste-cell closure) to nitrate, Fe(III), sulphate and organic matter reduction. Prevailing uncertainties do not allow specification of timing for the redox-changes. These uncertainties are essentially related to the lack of knowledge regarding microbial catalysis. As no natural or anthropogenic analogues are available, parameters need to be obtained from experiments. Two approaches will be presented that allow estimation of the

  13. Promethean ethics and nuclear waste management

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brown, J.B. Jr.

    1985-01-01

    The proposed safety standards for commercial nuclear waste management are examined and shown to be Promethean; that is, they are shown to be dominated by time and care for future generations. Some of the long-term environmental impact assessment methodologies being developed in commmercial waste management are examined. They are aimed at demonstrating repository isolation integrity over a 10,000-year period or 300 human generations, a truly Promethean period of examination unknown in other 20th Century technical analyses

  14. Nuclear wastes, a questionnaire

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1980-01-01

    Questionnaire giving basic information for the public on nuclear wastes and radioactive waste management. Risk and regulations to reduce the risk to permissible limits are more particularly developed. A survey of radioactive wastes is made along the fuel cycle: production, processing, transport, disposal to end on effect of waste management on the cost of nuclear kWh [fr

  15. A contribution to the physical and chemical model of long-lived radioactive wastes by clayey materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gorgeon, L.

    1994-01-01

    This work deals with the high-level and long-lived radioactive wastes confinement which come from the irradiated fuels reprocessing. These wastes are generally coated in a deep geological structure confinement matrix. The radiation protection of a such storage requires that the coating matrix, the technological barriers which separate the storage and the geological medium and the reception rock does not let the radioactive wastes pass. The materials used in this work for the confinement studies are clayey minerals and the retention mechanisms studies are realized on cesium 135, neptunium 237, americium 241 and uranium 233. The first part of this thesis concerns the clayey minerals retention properties towards ions in aqueous solutions. More particularly the relations between these properties and the chemical structure of these solids are investigated. In the second part are presented the experimental works which have allowed to specify the intrinsic characteristics of the studied minerals. Indeed the knowledge of these parameters is essential to quantitatively explain the results of the radionuclides retention. The adsorption mechanisms are described in a third part. (O.L.). 112 refs., 59 figs., 51 tabs

  16. Demonstration and Dialogue: Mediation in Swedish Nuclear Waste Management

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Elam, Mark; Lidberg, Maria; Soneryd, Linda; Sundqvist, Goeran

    2009-01-01

    This report analyses mediation and mediators in Swedish nuclear waste management. Mediation is about establishing agreement and building common knowledge. It is argued that demonstrations and dialogue are the two prominent approaches to mediation in Swedish nuclear waste management. Mediation through demonstration is about showing, displaying, and pointing out a path to safe disposal for inspection. It implies a strict division between demonstrator and audience. Mediation through dialogue on the other hand, is about collective acknowledgements of uncertainty and suspensions of judgement creating room for broader discussion. In Sweden, it is the Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Co. (SKB) that is tasked with finding a method and a site for the final disposal of the nation's nuclear waste. Two different legislative frameworks cover this process. In accordance with the Act on Nuclear Activities, SKB is required to demonstrate the safety of its planned nuclear waste management system to the government, while in respect of the Swedish Environmental Code, they are obliged to organize consultations with the public. How SKB combines these requirements is the main question under investigation in this report in relation to materials deriving from three empirical settings: 1) SKB's safety analyses, 2) SKB's public consultation activities and 3) the 'dialogue projects', initiated by other actors than SKB broadening the public arena for discussion. In conclusion, an attempt is made to characterise the long- term interplay of demonstration and dialogue in Swedish nuclear waste management

  17. Nuclear waste in the anthropocene. Uncertainties and unforeseeable timescales in the disposal of nuclear waste

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Brunnengraeber, Achim [Freie Univ. Berlin (Germany). Environmental Policy Research Centre (FFU); Goerg, Christoph [Klagenfurt Univ., Vienna (Austria). Inst. of Social Ecology

    2017-09-01

    From a scientific perspective, in particular following the Working Group on the Anthropocene of the International Commission on Stratigraphy (WGA-ISC), the major challenge for determining the Anthropocene and its start is the search for a ''golden spike''. The WGA-ISC agreed on nuclear fallout from disasters. For a full understanding of the Anthropocene, it however seems necessary to go further than that. We obtain a much broader understanding of the challenges that the new era represents for humanity if we take into account the so-called civilian use of nuclear energy and in particular the challenges posed by nuclear waste - long timescales and scientific uncertainties.

  18. Nuclear waste in the anthropocene. Uncertainties and unforeseeable timescales in the disposal of nuclear waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brunnengraeber, Achim; Goerg, Christoph

    2017-01-01

    From a scientific perspective, in particular following the Working Group on the Anthropocene of the International Commission on Stratigraphy (WGA-ISC), the major challenge for determining the Anthropocene and its start is the search for a ''golden spike''. The WGA-ISC agreed on nuclear fallout from disasters. For a full understanding of the Anthropocene, it however seems necessary to go further than that. We obtain a much broader understanding of the challenges that the new era represents for humanity if we take into account the so-called civilian use of nuclear energy and in particular the challenges posed by nuclear waste - long timescales and scientific uncertainties.

  19. Nuclear wastes: end product or just the end

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon.

    1977-01-01

    Until the nuclear fuel cycle is closed, nuclear power plants will operate at an economic disadvantage relative to fossil-fuel plants. Although eight new reprocessing plants for spent fuel are needed by 1980 to deal with the wastes that are accumulating, public reaction to nuclear wastes and the threat of plutonium proliferation has halted this portion of the cycle and required expanded storage facilities. ERDA expects to have a way to package wastes by 1978, but is still looking for an acceptable place for permanent storage. Public concerns center on the fear that levels of radioactivity will affect present and future generations and the fear that some plutonium will be diverted for use in weapons. These fears are examined and not found to be warranted as long as zero radiation and total safeguards are not the required goal

  20. sup 1 sup 2 sup 9 I targets for studies of nuclear waste transmutation

    CERN Document Server

    Ingelbrecht, C; Raptis, K; Altzitzoglou, T; Noguere, G

    2002-01-01

    Nuclear incineration of long-lived fission products and minor actinides is being investigated as an alternative means of reactor waste disposal. sup 1 sup 2 sup 9 I is of particular interest because of its long half-life and high mobility in the environment. Lead iodide targets of sup 1 sup 2 sup 9 I for neutron capture cross-section measurements were prepared from 210 l fuel reprocessing waste solution containing 1.3 g l sup - sup 1 iodine and other fission products. The iodine was separated by oxidation to I sub 2 and extraction into chloroform, reduction to iodide by sodium sulphite and re-extraction into an aqueous phase. Iodide was precipitated using lead nitrate and dried. The chemistry was carried out batch-wise using 400 ml starting solution each time and recycling the chloroform. An extraction efficiency of about 90%, determined by gamma-ray spectrometry, was achieved.

  1. Environmental Impact Statement on the concept for disposal of Canada's nuclear fuel waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1994-01-01

    This report describes the many fundamental issues relating to the strategy being proposed by Atomic Energy of Canada Limited for the long-term management of nuclear fuel waste. It discusses the need for a method for disposal of nuclear fuel waste that would permanently protect human health and the natural environment and that would not unfairly burden future generations. It also describes the background and mandate of the Nuclear Fuel Waste Management Program in Canada.

  2. Environmental Impact Statement on the concept for disposal of Canada's nuclear fuel waste

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1994-07-01

    This report describes the many fundamental issues relating to the strategy being proposed by Atomic Energy of Canada Limited for the long-term management of nuclear fuel waste. It discusses the need for a method for disposal of nuclear fuel waste that would permanently protect human health and the natural environment and that would not unfairly burden future generations. It also describes the background and mandate of the Nuclear Fuel Waste Management Program in Canada.

  3. Nuclear Waste Fund management

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rosselli, R.

    1984-01-01

    The Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 (NWPA) established two separate special bank accounts: the Nuclear Waste Fund (NWF) was established to finance all of the Federal Government activities associated with the disposal of High-Level Waste (HLW) or Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF). The Interim Storage Fund (ISF) is the financial mechanism for the provision of Federal Interim Storage capacity, not to exceed 1900 metric tons of SNF at civilian power reactors. The management of these funds is discussed. Since the two funds are identical in features and the ISF has not yet been activated, the author's remarks are confined to the Nuclear Waste Fund. Three points discussed include legislative features, current status, and planned activities

  4. Nuclear Waste Fund management

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hobart, L.

    1984-01-01

    The Nuclear Waste Fund involves a number of features which make it a unique federal program. Its primary purpose is to finance one of the largest and most controversial public works programs in the history of the United States. Despite the program's indicated size and advance publicity, no one knows exactly where the anticipated projects will be built, who will construct them, what they will look like when they are done or how they will be operated and by whom. Implimentation of this effort, if statutory targets are actually met, covers a 16-year period. To cover the costs of the program, the Federal Government will tax nuclear power at the rate of 1 mil per kilowatt hour generated. This makes it one of the biggest and longest-lived examples of advance collections for construction work in progress in the history of the United States. While the Department of Energy is authorized to collect funds for the program the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has the authority to cut off this revenue stream by the shutdown of particular reactors or particular reactor types. If all goes well, the Federal Government will begin receiving spent nuclear fuel by 1998, continuing to assess a fee which will cover operating and maintenance costs. If all does not go well, the Federal Government and/or utilities will have to take other steps to solve the problem of permanent disposal. Should the latter circumstance prevail, presumably not only used to date but the $7.5 billion would be spent. The Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982, contains no clear provision for utility refunds in that case

  5. Radioactive waste management and spent nuclear fuel storing. Options and priorities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Popescu, Ion

    2001-01-01

    As a member of the states' club using nuclear energy for peaceful applications, Romania approaches all the activities implied by natural uranium nuclear fuel cycle, beginning with uranium mining and ending with electric energy generation. Since, in all steps of the nuclear fuel cycle radioactive wastes are resulting, in order to protect the environment and the life, the correct and competent radioactive waste management is compulsory. Such a management implies: a. Separating the radioisotopes in all the effluences released into environment; b. Treating separately the radioisotopes to be each properly stored; c. Conditioning waste within resistant matrices ensuring long term isolation of the radioactive waste destined to final disposal; d. Building radioactive waste repositories with characteristics of isolation guaranteed for long periods of time. To comply with the provisions of the International Convention concerning the safety of the spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste management, signed on 5 September 1997, Romania launched its program 'Management of Radioactive Wastes and Dry Storing of Spent Nuclear Fuel' having the following objectives: 1. Establishing the technology package for treating and conditioning the low and medium active waste from Cernavoda NPP to prepare them for final disposal; 2. Geophysical and geochemical investigations of the site chosen for the low and medium active final disposal (DFDSMA); 3. Evaluating the impact on environment and population of the DFDSMA; 4. Providing data necessary in the dry intermediate storing of spent nuclear fuel and the continuous and automated surveillance; 5. Establishing multiple barriers for spent nuclear fuel final disposal in order to establish the repository in granitic rocks and salt massives; 6. Designing and testing containers for final disposal of spent nuclear fuel guaranteeing the isolation over at least 500 years; 7. Computational programs for evaluation of radionuclide leakage in environment in

  6. Buoyancy flow in fractures intersecting a nuclear waste repository

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, J.S.Y.; Tsang, C.F.

    1980-07-01

    The thermally induced buoyancy flow in fractured rocks around a nuclear waste repository is of major concern in the evaluation of the regional, long-term impact of nuclear waste disposal in geological formation. In this study, buoyancy flow and the development of convective cells are calculated in vertical fractures passing through or positioned near a repository. Interaction between buoyancy flow and regional hydraulic gradient is studied as a function of time, and the interference of intersecting fractures with each other is also discussed

  7. Nuclear-waste-package materials degradation modes and accelerated testing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1981-09-01

    This report reviews the materials degradation modes that may affect the long-term behavior of waste packages for the containment of nuclear waste. It recommends an approach to accelerated testing that can lead to the qualification of waste package materials in specific repository environments in times that are short relative to the time period over which the waste package is expected to provide containment. This report is not a testing plan but rather discusses the direction for research that might be considered in developing plans for accelerated testing of waste package materials and waste forms

  8. Waste transmutation: perspectives

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Leray, S.

    1997-01-01

    After the introduction on the source and nature of nuclear waste, this lecture analyzes the different methods proposed to transmute long-lived isotopes into stable or short-lived isotopes. It is shown that direct methods (photonuclear reactions, spallation, muon catalyzed fusion) do not lead to a sufficient transmutation rate within a reasonable cost. Only the use of hybrid systems, fusion-fission or spallation-fission, can be foreseen. (author)

  9. Geologic disposal as optimal solution of managing the spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ilie, P.; Didita, L.; Ionescu, A.; Deaconu, V.

    2002-01-01

    To date there exist three alternatives for the concept of geological disposal: 1. storing the high-level waste (HLW) and spent nuclear fuel (SNF) on ground repositories; 2. solutions implying advanced separation processes including partitioning and transmutation (P and T) and eventual disposal in outer space; 3. geological disposal in repositories excavated in rocks. Ground storing seems to be advantageous as it ensures a secure sustainable storing system over many centuries (about 300 years). On the other hand ground storing would be only a postponement in decision making and will be eventually followed by geological disposal. Research in the P and T field is expected to entail a significant reduction of the amount of long-lived radioactive waste although the long term geological disposal will be not eliminated. Having in view the high cost, as well as the diversity of conditions in the countries owning power reactors it appears as a reasonable regional solution of HLW disposal that of sharing a common geological disposal. In Romania legislation concerning of radioactive waste is based on the Law concerning Spent Nuclear Fuel and Radioactive Waste Management in View of Final Disposal. One admits at present that for Romania geological disposal is not yet a stressing issue and hence intermediate ground storing of SNF will allow time for finding a better final solution

  10. Investigation on polyetheretherketone composite for long term storage of nuclear waste

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ajeesh, G.; Bhowmik, Shantanu; Sivakumar, Venugopal; Varshney, Lalit; Kumar, Virendra; Abraham, Mathew

    2015-12-01

    This investigation highlights the effect of radiation, chemical and thermal environments on mechanical and thermal properties of Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) composites, which could prove to be an alternative material for long term storage of nuclear wastes. The tests are conducted on specimens made from PEEK and PEEK reinforced with carbon short fiber. The specimens are subjected to radiation doses, equivalent to the cumulative dosage for 500 years followed by exposure under highly corrosive and thermal environments. Studies under optical microscopy reveal that the dispersion of carbon short fiber in the PEEK Composites is significantly uniform. Differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) and thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA) indicates that there are no significant changes in thermal properties of PEEK composite when exposed to aggressive environments. It is further observed that there are no significant changes in mechanical properties of the composite after exposure to radiation and thermo-chemical environment.

  11. Investigation on polyetheretherketone composite for long term storage of nuclear waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ajeesh, G.; Bhowmik, Shantanu; Sivakumar, Venugopal; Varshney, Lalit; Kumar, Virendra; Abraham, Mathew

    2015-01-01

    This investigation highlights the effect of radiation, chemical and thermal environments on mechanical and thermal properties of Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) composites, which could prove to be an alternative material for long term storage of nuclear wastes. The tests are conducted on specimens made from PEEK and PEEK reinforced with carbon short fiber. The specimens are subjected to radiation doses, equivalent to the cumulative dosage for 500 years followed by exposure under highly corrosive and thermal environments. Studies under optical microscopy reveal that the dispersion of carbon short fiber in the PEEK Composites is significantly uniform. Differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) and thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA) indicates that there are no significant changes in thermal properties of PEEK composite when exposed to aggressive environments. It is further observed that there are no significant changes in mechanical properties of the composite after exposure to radiation and thermo-chemical environment.

  12. A HOLISTIC APPROACH FOR DISPOSITION OF LONG-LIVED RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Eriksson, Leif G.; Dials, George E.; Parker, Frank L.

    2003-01-01

    During the past 45 years, one of the most challenging scientific, engineering, socio-economic, and political tasks and obligations of our time has been to site and develop technical, politically acceptable, solutions to the safe disposition of long-lived radioactive materials (LLRMs). However, at the end of the year 2002, the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) site in the United States of America (USA) hosts the world's only operating LLRM-disposal system, which (1) is based on the LLRM-disposal principles recommended by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) in 1957, i.e., deep geological disposal in a ''stable'' salt vault/repository, (2) complies with the nation's ''Environmental Radiation Protection Standards for the Management and Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel, High-Level and Transuranic Radioactive Wastes'', and (3) may receive 175,584 cubic meters (m3) of transuranic radioactive waste (TRUW)a. Pending the scheduled opening of repositories for once-used nuclear fuel (OUNF) in the USA, Sweden, and Finland in the years 2010, 2015, and 2017, respectively, LLRM-disposal solutions remain the missing link in all national LLRM-disposition programs. Furthermore, for a variety of reasons, many nations with nuclear programs have chosen a ''spectator'' stance in terms of enhancing the global nuclear safety culture and the nuclear renaissance, and have either ''slow-tracked'' or deferred their LLRM-disposal programs to allow time for an informed national consensus to evolve based on LLRM-disposition experiences and solutions gained elsewhere. In the meantime, LLRMs will continue to amass in different types and levels of safeguarded storage facilities around the world. In an attempt to contribute to the enhancement of the global nuclear safety culture and the nuclear renaissance, the authors developed the sample holistic approach for synergistic disposition of LLRMs comprising LLRM-disposition components considered either ''proven'' or ''promising'' by the authors. The

  13. Separation of mobile long-lived nuclides in a simplified reprocessing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fujine, Sachio; Uchiyama, Gunzo; Kihara, Takehiro; Asakura, Toshihide; Sakurai, Tsutomu

    1997-01-01

    Enhancing confinement efficiency of long-lived nuclides in a simplified Purex process is the primary subject of our PARC (Partitioning Conundrum Key) R and D project. Nuclides focused here are all susceptible to diffuse into the environment and highly concerned as potential hazard among the long-lived nuclides in spent fuels. New functions in PARC concept are designed to mitigate the environmental impacts of reprocessing wastes and also to improve the economy of reprocessing in the future. Experimental work has been conducted to demonstrate the feasibility of the concept. (author)

  14. Anthropogenic analogues for geological disposal of high level and long lived waste. Final report of a coordinated research project 1999-2004

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2005-12-01

    Human-made materials comprise important elements of the engineered barriers within the multi-barrier containment system in all concepts for the geological disposal of long lived radioactive wastes. A typical waste package consists of a metallic container for the solid waste (e.g. spent fuel or borosilicate glass in the case of high level waste, or cemented intermediate level wastes), possibly with an additional metallic over-pack to provide added protection or further corrosion resistance to the container. In the repository, waste packages are surrounded by buffer or backfill materials, such as clays, which have been subject to varying degrees of mechanical or chemical processing. Repository concepts for intermediate level wastes generally contain large volumes of cement and concrete in various applications: as a waste conditioning matrix, in boxes for waste components, as backfill between waste packages and as vault and silo structures within excavated caverns and tunnels. The long term behaviour and interactions of these materials is an important aspect of the performance of a repository, and post-closure safety assessment requires information on their durability, stability and slow degradation characteristics. Analogue information from archaeological and other anthropogenic materials can indicate the mechanisms and rates of long term corrosion of glasses and metals and of degradation of cements over hundreds or thousands of years, which can be used to constrain estimates of degradation rates over similar or longer periods. Under some circumstances it is also possible to find these materials in locations where they have interacted with natural radionuclides over long periods. This can provide useful data on how radionuclides might be sorbed or precipitated as they pass from the waste matrix into the surrounding, degrading engineered barrier system of a repository far into the future. Over the last twenty five years, many countries have gathered information on the

  15. A proliferation-resistant closed nuclear fuel cycle with radiation-equivalent disposal of radioactive waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Adamov, E.O.; Gabaraev, B.A.; Ganev, I.K.; Lopatkin, A.V.; Orlov, V.V.

    1998-01-01

    The growing energy demand in the next century can be met by large-scale nuclear power that can be deployed around fast reactors operating in a closed U-Pu cycle. The main requirements to the future fuel cycle are 1) reduction of the radiation risk from radioactive waste owing to transmutation of the most hazardous long-lived actinides and fission products in reactors and due to thorough treatment of radwaste to remove these elements, with provision of a balance between the activity of waste put to final disposal and that of uranium extracted from earth; 2) no possibility to use closed cycle facilities for Pu extraction from spent fuel for the purpose of weapons production; physical protection of fuel against thefts (nonproliferation). (author)

  16. Nuclear wastes: overview

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Billard, Isabelle

    2006-01-01

    Nuclear wastes are a major concern for all countries dealing with civil nuclear energy, whatever these countries have decided yet about reprocessing/storage options. In this chapter, a (exact) definition of a (radioactive) waste is given, together with definitions of waste classes and their characteristics (volumes, types etc.). The various options that are currently experienced in the world will be presented but focus will be put on the French case. Envision evolutions will be briefly presented. (author)

  17. Long live happy nuclear

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gay, Michel

    2016-01-01

    In this book, the author, with his well known distinctive style, shows that ecology and nuclear are compatible, and also need each other for a successful energy transition and to build a sustainable future. Basically, by gathering simple elements of knowledge, he wants to fight against the propaganda of anti-nuclear associations and activists, and of media as well

  18. Recovery of transplutonium elements from nuclear reactor waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Campbell, D.O.; Buxton, S.R.

    1977-01-01

    A method of separating actinide values from nitric acid waste solutions resulting from reprocessing of irradiated nuclear fuels comprises oxalate precipitation of the major portion of actinide and lanthanide values to provide a trivalent fraction suitable for subsequent actinide/lanthanide partition, exchange of actinide and lanthanide values in the supernate onto a suitable cation exchange resin to provide an intermediate-lived raffinate waste stream substantially free of actinides, and elution of the actinide values from the exchange resin. The eluate is then used to dissolve the trivalent oxalate fraction prior to actinide/lanthanide partition or may be combined with the reprocessing waste stream and recycled. 5 claims, 2 figures

  19. Removal of radionuclides from the water-soluble fraction of Hanford nuclear defense wastes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Strachan, D.M.; Schulz, W.W.

    1980-01-01

    The current Hanford Waste Management Program has operated since 1968 to remove the bulk of the long-lived heat emitters /sup 90/Sr and /sup 137/Cs from stored high-level wastes. The liquid waste remaining after removal of /sup 90/Sr and /sup 137/Cs is returned to underground tanks for eventual evaporation to damp solid salt cake. Approximately 95,000 m/sup 3/ of salt cake and 49,000 m/sup 3/ of ''sludge'' will eventually accumulate in approximately 50 underground single-shell tanks. One alternative for long-term management of high-level Hanford wastes involves retrieval, after a yet-to-be determined interim storage time, conversion to more immobile forms, and terminal storage in a suitable geologic repository. Another alternative for long-term management of salt cake and residual liquid involves removing most of the long-lived radionuclides and many of the shorter-lived ones from these wastes. This paper describes conditions and results of recent hot cell tests of the complete Hanford Radionuclide Removal Process. These advanced tests, made with actual residual liquid containing large concentrations of ethylenediaminetetracetic acid (EDTA) and other organic compounds, provided a rigorous and convincing proof of the process flowsheet. 16 refs

  20. Standard Guide for Preparing Waste Management Plans for Decommissioning Nuclear Facilities

    CERN Document Server

    American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

    2010-01-01

    1.1 This guide addresses the development of waste management plans for potential waste streams resulting from decommissioning activities at nuclear facilities, including identifying, categorizing, and handling the waste from generation to final disposal. 1.2 This guide is applicable to potential waste streams anticipated from decommissioning activities of nuclear facilities whose operations were governed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) or Agreement State license, under Department of Energy (DOE) Orders, or Department of Defense (DoD) regulations. 1.3 This guide provides a description of the key elements of waste management plans that if followed will successfully allow for the characterization, packaging, transportation, and off-site treatment or disposal, or both, of conventional, hazardous, and radioactive waste streams. 1.4 This guide does not address the on-site treatment, long term storage, or on-site disposal of these potential waste streams. 1.5 This standard does not purport to address ...

  1. Nuclear waste transmutation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Salvatores, M.; Girard, C.; Delpech, M.; Slessarev, I.; Tommasi, J.

    1994-01-01

    Waste management strategies foresee the use of a deep geological repository either for final disposal of irradiated fuel or, after reprocessing and reuse of U and Pu for final disposal of long-lived radio-active materials. In the second case, partitioning and transmutation of these materials can be considered to reduce the impact of radiation on man due to the storage. On the basis of the SPIN programme developed by CEA in this field, the main features of transmutation is presented. The goal to achieve and the criteria to use are quite difficult to establish. The rights para-meters to characterize the risk are the potential radiotoxicity in the the repository and the residual radiotoxicity at the outlet. Transmutation studies in CEA used the potential radiotoxicity which is based on well-known parameters and less precise hazardous factors. The second point to appreciate the trans- mutation interest is to dispose of a criteria for the radio-radiotoxicity reduction. As there is no general agreement, we try to have a toxicity as low as possible within reasonable technical limits. To reduce the long term radio- toxicity, Pu, minor actinides and some long-lived fission products have to be transmuted. To assess the feasibility of such trans-mutation in reactors or advanced systems, one has to consider constraints on neutronic balance, safety, fuel cycle, technology , economy. Taking in account the main conclusions of this analysis, parametric studies of homogeneous and heterogenous transmutation permit a choice of promising solutions. Goals are to use every long-lived element with a minimized production of other long- lived elements in order to obtain an appreciable radiotoxicity reduction. It implies multi recycling of Pu which favours fast neutron reactors and different strategies of multi recycling for Np, Am, Cm. Multi recycling makes the results strongly dependant of losses. Researches to obtain the high partitioning efficiency needed are in progress. Calculations

  2. The Swedish system for funding of nuclear waste management

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hedman, Tommy; Westerlind, Magnus

    2003-01-01

    defined. SKB makes annual estimates for all nuclear power utilities that form the basis for the regulatory authorities' review as well as the basis for calculating the fee. SKI is the regulatory authority that reviews the nuclear power utilities' cost estimates. Furthermore, SKI reviews the guarantee that the nuclear power utilities must make available. After its review, SKI submits a proposal for the size of the fees, and of the guarantees required, to the Government. Based on this proposal, the Government sets the fee and guarantees. Furthermore, SKI decides on the reimbursements from the Nuclear Waste Fund. This means in practice that SKI approves SKB's annual budget and decides on reimbursements to SKB. It also means that SKI carries out annual audits of SKB's financial reports. The estimated total future cost, from 2003 onwards, is SEK 50 billion, if all reactors are operated for 25 years. If they are used for 40 years, the costs will be SEK 48 billion (all estimates are January 2003 price level). The sum of the future expenses and of those already accrued on various nuclear waste projects, are approximately SEK 65 billion. To date, the Nuclear Waste Fund has covered the expenses for: CLAB; the transport system, i.e., the ship Sigyn, containers, special trucks, etc; the Canister Laboratory and the Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory; SKB's research and development costs, including siting activities. The Nuclear Waste Fund will eventually cover expenses for: the encapsulation of spent nuclear fuel; the repositories for spent nuclear fuel and long-lived low and intermediate level waste; the dismantling of nuclear power plants and the disposal of decommissioning waste; continuing research and development work; the expenses for regulatory control and supervision after closure of the reactors. The repository for radioactive operational waste (SFR-1) has been paid for by the nuclear power utilities and not by the Fund. Costs for management of operational waste is paid for directly

  3. Solving the geologic issues in nuclear waste disposal

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Towse, D.

    1979-01-01

    Technical problems with nuclear waste disposal are largely geological. If these are not solved, curtailment of nuclear power development may follow, resulting in loss of an important element in the national energy supply. Present knowledge and credible advances are capable of solving these problems provided a systems view is preserved and a national development plan is followed. This requires identification of the critical controllable elements and a systematic underground test program to prove those critical elements. Waste migration can be understood and controlled by considering the key elements in the system: the system geometry, the hydrology, and the waste-rock-water chemistry. The waste program should: (1) identify and attack the critical problems first; (2) provide tests and demonstration at real disposal sites; and (3) schedule elements with long lead-times for early start and timely completion

  4. Management of radioactive waste from nuclear applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1997-01-01

    Radioactive waste arises from the generation of nuclear energy and from the production of radioactive materials and their applications in industry, agriculture, research and medicine. The importance of safe management of radioactive waste for the protection of human health and the environment has long been recognized and considerable experience has been gained in this field. Technical expertise is a prerequisite for safe and cost-effective management of radioactive waste. A training course is considered an effective tool for providing technical expertise in various aspects of waste management. The IAEA, in co-operation with national authorities concerned with radioactive waste management, has organized and conducted a number of radioactive waste management training courses. The results of the courses conducted by the IAEA in 1991-1995 have been evaluated at consultants meetings held in December 1995 and May 1996. This guidance document for use by Member States in arranging national training courses on the management of low and intermediate level radioactive waste from nuclear applications has been prepared as the result of that effort. The report outlines the various requirements for the organization, conduct and evaluation of training courses in radioactive waste management and proposes an annotated outline of a reference training course

  5. Determination of long-lived radionuclides in environment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Seki, Riki

    2001-01-01

    This review summarized the recent papers published after 1985, because Higuchi had written 'Radiometry in Environment' for Advanced Review in this journal, 1985. Separation, purification and measurement method of long-lived radionuclide without light elements are reported. To determine radionuclide in the environment, a pretreatment of sample such as enrichment and separation is need. An extraction chromatography and adsorbents, for example, active carbon and AMP, were developed for the above objects. For analysis of low level radionuclide, background was decreased. ICP-MS, RIMS (Resonance Ionization Mass Spectroscopy) and AMS were used to determine mass of long-lived ones. ICP-MS can measure 93 Zr, 99 Tc, 107 Pd, 129 I and 135 Cs in the radioactive waste without a chemical analysis. RIMS determined 41 Ca, 236-244 Pu, 90 Sr and 237 Np. AMS showed good results for pure beta emitter nuclides ad trace long-lived radionuclide, for example, 14 C, 10 Be, 26 Al, 36 Cl, 129 I and 236 U. Measurement method and results of 14 C, 10 Be, 26 Al, 36 Cl, 41 Ca, 63 Ni, 79 Se, 85 Kr, 99 Tc, 129 I, 237 Np and Pu were explained. (S.Y.)

  6. Nuclear waste: the political realities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arnott, D.

    1983-01-01

    The land dumping of nuclear waste has again come to the attention of anti-nuclear groups, environmentalists and the media, following the announcement of the proposed sites for intermediate-level nuclear waste at Billingham and Bedford. Opposition has already surfaced on a large scale, with public meetings in both areas and a revitalisation of the waste dumping network. This article explains some of the political realities in the nuclear debate, and suggests how we can tackle the issue of waste dumping, remembering that, even if the industry closes tomorrow, there are vast quantities of waste which must be safely and democratically dealt with. (author)

  7. Nuclear waste - perceptions and realities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wilkinson, D.

    1984-01-01

    This paper discusses the complex scientific, sociological, political and emotive aspects of nuclear waste. The public perception of the hazards and risks, to present and future generations, in the management of nuclear wastes are highlighted. The cost of nuclear waste management to socially acceptable and technically achievable standards is discussed. (UK)

  8. Conceptual model for concrete long time degradation in a deep nuclear waste repository

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lagerblad, B; Traegaardh, J [Swedish Cement and Concrete Research Inst., Stockholm (Sweden)

    1994-02-01

    This report is mainly a state-of-the-art report of concrete long time durability in the environment expected in a deep site underground nuclear waste repository in Swedish crystalline bedrock. The report treats how the concrete and the surrounding groundwater will interact and how they will be affected by cement chemistry, type of aggregate etc. The different mechanisms for concrete alteration treated include sulphate attack, carbonation, chloride attack, alkali-silica reaction and leaching phenomena. In a long time perspective, the chemical alterations in concrete is mainly governed by the surrounding groundwater composition. After closure the composition of the groundwater will change character from a modified meteoric to a saline composition. Therefore two different simulated groundwater compositions have been used in modelling the chemical interaction between concrete and groundwater. The report also includes a study of old and historical concrete which show observations concerning recrystallization phenomena in concrete. 72 refs, 39 figs.

  9. Conceptual model for concrete long time degradation in a deep nuclear waste repository

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lagerblad, B.; Traegaardh, J.

    1994-02-01

    This report is mainly a state-of-the-art report of concrete long time durability in the environment expected in a deep site underground nuclear waste repository in Swedish crystalline bedrock. The report treats how the concrete and the surrounding groundwater will interact and how they will be affected by cement chemistry, type of aggregate etc. The different mechanisms for concrete alteration treated include sulphate attack, carbonation, chloride attack, alkali-silica reaction and leaching phenomena. In a long time perspective, the chemical alterations in concrete is mainly governed by the surrounding groundwater composition. After closure the composition of the groundwater will change character from a modified meteoric to a saline composition. Therefore two different simulated groundwater compositions have been used in modelling the chemical interaction between concrete and groundwater. The report also includes a study of old and historical concrete which show observations concerning recrystallization phenomena in concrete. 72 refs, 39 figs

  10. Management of radioactive waste generated from nuclear power reactors in Korea

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jeong-Mook Kim

    2000-01-01

    Fundamental objectives and efforts to safely manage radioactive wastes generating from the expanding nuclear power industry in the Republic of Korea are described. Management, treatment and storage of radioactive wastes arising in different form are addressed. A long tern plan to reduce the volume of solid waste is outlined. (author)

  11. Environmental dispersion of long-lived radionuclides in the geosphere and biosphere

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Myttenaere, C.; Avogadro, A.; Murray, C.N.

    1984-01-01

    Knowledge of the migration of radionuclides in the terrestrial environment is one of the key elements in assessment of the risk resulting from potential or actual releases from nuclear facilities. Among the various radionuclides arising from the nuclear fuel cycle, long-lived fission products and actinides are of particular concern for the different disposal options considered for radioactive wastes. Current knowledge of the processes that are responsible for their migration through different compartments of the environment (geosphere and biosphere) is reviewed. Migration in the geosphere is governed by a number of different mechanisms that have a wide range of reaction rates. Certain processes may be identified that control short-term behaviour and others long term. In assessing these processes, which relate to the interaction between solid and liquid phases, special attention is paid to the time-scale as well as the dynamic nature of the controlling processes. The current state of knowledge and the major research efforts under way concerning the predominant processes identified in different geological disposal options are reviewed. Various mechanisms control the behaviour of long-lived radionuclides and actinides in the soil and their migration in the biosphere. Regarding the biological uptake, particular attention is drawn to the 'ageing' phenomena and their consequences on radioactivity transfer in the different food chains. Similarities in the biogeochemical properties of natural and man-made elements that could further our understanding of the long-term behaviour of radionuclides are discussed. Consequently, all these considerations justify study of the biogeochemical aspects of the transfer of radioactivity in the environment. In the actual state of knowledge the uncertainties in the parameters used in the models may lead to difficulty in long-term dose estimation. Assessment of the dose received by man appears to be more strongly limited by the quality of

  12. Formation of secondary phases during the corrosion of vitrified nuclear waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zimmer, P.

    2003-11-01

    The first aim of this work was the examination of the formation and long-term stability of secondary phases that form during an aquatic attack on simulated, vitrified nuclear waste. In the glasses used for the investigations actinides had been replaced by rare earth elements (chemical analogues), other radionuclides by inactive isotopes. For predictions about the long-term safety of nuclear waste disposals it is important to identify secondary phases that have formed during the glass corrosion process and to determine their stability. Two different saline solutions (rich in MgCl 2 and in NaCl, respectively) are relevant as a corrosion medium for waste disposals. It showed that in such an environment sulfates, silicates and molybdates represent the main new formations of minerals after 7.5 years of corrosion. However, the formation, long-term stability and sorption characteristics of those minerals regarding rare earth elements depend to a high degree on the corrosion medium as well as on changes in the geochemical environment in the course of the experiment. By means of SEM/EDX barytes of different morphology with up to 15% w/w Sr ((Ba,Sr)SO 4 ) were identified in both corrosion media; they were capable of binding long-term stable radionuclides like Sr. Furthermore, pure rare earth (RE) sulfates were observed in the saline solution rich in MgCl 2 . This formation of RE-sulfates has not been described in the literature so far. Depending on the saline solution, the secondary silicate and molybdate minerals that formed on the glass surfaces differed noticeably in their sorption characteristics and their stability. Another focus of the work was a more profound understanding of the glass corrosion mechanism in the presence of metallic iron since steel jackets are used as technical barriers for the vitrified nuclear waste in nuclear waste disposals. Another important point in connection with the mobilization and immobilization of radionuclides released during glass

  13. IRSN-ANCCLI partnership. Two days for more information on nuclear wastes - April 2013

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    El Jammal, Marie-Helene; Tichauer, Michael; Pellegrini, Delphine; Lehtonen, Markku; Sene, Monique; Mays, Claire; Tallec, Michele; GILLOIRE, Christine; Chantrenne, Nicolas; Bernet, Claude; Castel, Cecile

    2013-04-01

    During the first day, the contributions addressed the issue of radioactive wastes. These contributions (Power Point presentations) addressed the following topics: discussion of the IRSN opinion survey and perception of radioactive wastes in France, a retrospective of radioactive waste management in France, the inventory of radioactive wastes in France, an international overview of the management of the different wastes (high-level, intermediate-level, long-lived wastes, so on), the different sites of radioactive waste disposal, the on-site warehousing of wastes, the Cigeo project for the storage of high-level and intermediate-level long-lived wastes (location, sizing, principle, handling operations, waste routing, reversibility, authorization process), presentation of the activities of the Cigeo work-group. A paper proposes a synthesis of discussions. The second day addressed the Cigeo project information files: opinion of the ASN in 2006 on researches related to high level and long life waste management, the main safety challenges of the Cigeo project as they are perceived and analysed by the IRSN when informing the ANDRA files (risks in operation phase, IRSN opinion on ANDRA's answers). The activities of the GPMDR (Permanent Group on Radioactive Materials and Wastes) about the Cigeo project are then debated. A synthesis of discussion is proposed

  14. Nuclear waste disposal technology for Pacific Basin countries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Langley, R.A. Jr.; Brothers, G.W.

    1981-01-01

    Safe long-term disposal of nuclear wastes is technically feasible. Further technological development offers the promise of reduced costs through elimination of unnecessary conservatism and redundance in waste disposal systems. The principal deterrents to waste disposal are social and political. The issues of nuclear waste storage and disposal are being confronted by many nuclear power countries including some of the Pacific Basin nuclear countries. Both mined geologic and subseabed disposal schemes are being developed actively. The countries of the Pacific Basin, because of their geographic proximity, could benefit by jointly planning their waste disposal activities. A single repository, of a design currently being considered, could hold all the estimated reprocessing waste from all the Pacific Basin countries past the year 2010. As a start, multinational review of alterntive disposal schemes would be beneficial. This review should include the subseabed disposal of radwastes. A multinational review of radwaste packaging is also suggested. Packages destined for a common repository, even though they may come from several countries, should be standardized to maximize repository efficiency and minimize operator exposure. Since package designs may be developed before finalization of a repository scheme and design, the packages should not have characteristics that would preclude or adversely affect operation of desirable repository options. The sociopolitical problems of waste disposal are a major deterrent to a multinational approach to waste disposal. The elected representatives of a given political entity have generally been reluctant to accept the waste from another political entity. Initial studies would, nevertheless, be beneficial either to a common solution to the problem, or to aid in separate solutions

  15. Review and Analysis of Solid Long-lived and High Level Radioactive Waste arising at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant and the Restricted Zone

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Antropov, V.M.; Bugai, D.A.; Dutton, L.M.C.; Gerchikov, M.Y.; Kennett, E.J.; Ledenev, A.I.; Novikov, A.A.; Rudko, V.; Ziegenhagen, J.

    2001-01-01

    The study characterised potential waste arisings in the Exclusion Zone surrounding the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. Studied sites include the Industrial Zone outside the Sarcophagus, three engineered disposal sites (the so-called PZRO), non-engineered near surface trench dumps (PVLRO), contaminated soil and sites of ''unauthorized'' disposal within the Exclusion Zone. Analysis of the previous methodology used for waste characterisation and inventory estimates identified a number of errors. A new database was established, which contains the most up-to date information on radwaste in the Exclusion Zone. Based on the analysis of the available information and potential radiological consequences, a judgement was taken regarding the priority of waste retrieval. In a number of cases it is necessary to carry out risk assessment to ensure that in-situ disposal would satisfy the Ukrainian regulations. Assessments of waste stream volumes for subsequent incineration, encapsulation, storage and disposal in the planned near-surface facilities have been made. It is judged that throughput and capacity of the planned waste management facilities specified by OSAT is, in general, appropriate to the likely waste arisings. (author)

  16. Nuclear waste in sea or salt? No, wrong

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Damveld, H.; Van Duin, S.; Bannink, D.

    1994-04-01

    Eighteen years of successful action against ocean dumping and storage of nuclear waste in salt domes are reviewed for the Dutch situation. The aim of this book is to hand some support to those who want to act against trial borings, in particular the people living close to the most important salt domes in the Netherlands: Ternaard, Zuidwending, Pieterburen, Onstwedde, Winschoten, Schoonlo and Gasselte-Drouwen. In 1976 the Interdepartmental Commission on Nuclear Energy with its subcommission Radioactive Substances (ICK-RAS) was installed, along with a number of working groups, responsible for research. From 1978 onwards ocean dumping operations were accompanied by blockades and legal procedures, which led to a situation of the last dumping in 1982. The Dutch government then focused on nuclear waste storage in salt domes for which the OPLA research program was started. OPLA is the Dutch abbreviation for Storage on Land. The final report (phase 1 and 1a) of OPLA was published on 15 October 1993 as annex to the Dossier Nuclear Energy of the Dutch government. It has been decided that phase 1a is not followed by trial drillings, as planned before. Some critical remarks are made regarding the rounds of public participation and the notion of permanent retrievability of stored nuclear waste. Extensive use has been made of documentation from the Dutch government and parliament, and other literature and information sources

  17. Glass containing radioactive nuclear waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boatner, L.A.; Sales, B.C.

    1985-01-01

    Lead-iron phosphate glasses containing a high level of Fe 2 O 3 for use as a storage medium for high-level-radioactive nuclear waste. By combining lead-iron phosphate glass with various types of simulated high-level nuclear waste, a highly corrosion resistant, homogeneous, easily processed glass can be formed. For corroding solutions at 90 C, with solution pH values in the range between 5 and 9, the corrosion rate of the lead-iron phosphate nuclear waste glass is at least 10 2 to 10 3 times lower than the corrosion rate of a comparable borosilicate nuclear waste glass. The presence of Fe 2 O 3 in forming the lead-iron phosphate glass is critical. Lead-iron phosphate nuclear waste glass can be prepared at temperatures as low as 800 C, since they exhibit very low melt viscosities in the 800 to 1050 C temperature range. These waste-loaded glasses do not readily devitrify at temperatures as high as 550 C and are not adversely affected by large doses of gamma radiation in H 2 O at 135 C. The lead-iron phosphate waste glasses can be prepared with minimal modification of the technology developed for processing borosilicate glass nuclear waste forms. (author)

  18. DOE progress in assessing the long term performance of waste package materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Berusch, A.; Gause, E.

    1987-01-01

    Under the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 (NWPA)[1], the US Dept. of Energy (DOE) is conducting activities to select and characterize candidate sites suitable for the construction and operation of a geologic repository for the disposal of high-level nuclear wastes. DOE is funding three first repository projects: Basalt Waste Isolation Project, BWIP; Nevada Nuclear Waste Isolation Project, NNWSI; and Salt Repository Project Office, SRPO. It is essential in the licensing process that DOE demonstrate to the NRC that the long-term performance of the materials and design will be in compliance with the requirements of 10 CFR 60.113 on substantially complete containment within the waste packages for 300 to 1000 years and a controlled release rate from the engineered barrier system (EBS) for 10,000 years of 1 part in 10 5 per year for radionuclides present in defined quantities 100 years after permanent closure. Obviously, the time spans involved make it impractical to base the assessment of the long term performance of waste package materials on real time, prototypical testing. The assessment of performance will be implemented by the use of models that are supported by real time field and laboratory tests, monitoring, and natural analog studies. Each of the repository projects is developing a plan for demonstrating long-term waste package material performance depending on the particular materials and the package-perturbed, time-dependent environment under which the materials must function. An overview of progress in each of these activities for each of the projects is provided in the following

  19. Aube storage center for short-lived low- and intermediate-level wastes. Annual report 2008

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2009-06-01

    The National Radioactive Waste Management Agency (Andra), was established by the December 1991 Waste Act as a public body in charge of the long-term management of all radioactive waste, under the supervision of the Ministry of Ecology, Energy, Sustainable Development and the Sea (formerly the Ministry of Industry and the Ministry of Environment), and the Ministry of Research. The Andra operates two storage centers in the Aube region (France): the center for short-lived low- and intermediate-level wastes, and the center for very-low-level radioactive wastes. This document is the 2008 activity report of the center for short-lived low- and intermediate-level wastes. It presents a review of the activities of the center: presentation of the installations, safety and radiation protection, events or incidents, environmental monitoring, wastes management, public information

  20. Lead-iron phosphate glass: a stable storage medium for high-level nuclear waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sales, B.C.; Boatner, L.A.

    1984-01-01

    Results are presented which show that lead-iron phosphate glasses are a promising new waste form for the safe immobilization of both high-level defense and high-level commercial radioactive waste. Relative to the borosilicate nuclear waste glasses that are currently the ''reference'' waste form for the long-term disposal of nuclear waste, lead-iron phosphate glasses have several distinct advantages: (1) an aqueous corrosion rate that is about 1000 times lower, (2) a processing temperature that is 100 0 to 250 0 C lower and, (3) a much lower melt viscosity in the temperature range from 800 0 to 1000 0 C. Most significantly, the lead-iron phosphate waste form can be processed using a technology similar to that developed for borosilicate nuclear waste glasses

  1. Long-term management of Canada's spent nuclear fuel: the nuclear waste management organizations recommendation to government

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shaver, K.

    2006-01-01

    Full text: Like many countries with nuclear power programs, Canada is in the process of addressing the long-term management of its spent fuel. The Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) was tasked through federal legislation to conduct a three-year study of approaches for the long-term management of spent fuel, and to recommend a preferred approach to the Government of Canada. Legislation required NWMO to compare at least three approaches -approaches based on deep geological disposal in the Canadian Shield, storage at nuclear reactor sites, and centralized storage either above or below ground. In assessing the options, NWMO sought a recommendation that would be socially acceptable, technically sound, environmentally responsible and economically feasible. The study drew on a vast base of social, technical, engineering, and financial research, and included an extensive engagement program with the public and Aboriginal peoples. The recommendation emerged from a collaborative dialogue with specialists and citizens, for an approach that is built on sound science and technology and responsive to citizen values. NWMO submitted its completed options study, with recommendation, to the Government in November 2005. NWMO has proposed an alternative approach, Adaptive Phased Management, which has as its key attributes: central containment and isolation of spent fuel in a deep repository, in an appropriate geological formation; contingency provision for central shallow storage; monitoring and retrievability; and a staged, adaptive process of concept implementation, reflecting the complex nature of the task and the desire of citizens to proceed through cautious, deliberate steps of technical demonstration and social acceptance. This paper will review: 1) the development of the assessment framework for comparing the technical options, which incorporated social and ethical considerations expressed by citizens; 2) findings of the assessment; and 3) features of the proposed

  2. FFSM, Long-Term Nuclear Waste Repository Site Simulation by Monte-Carlo

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hadlock, L.R.; Hellstrom, D.I.; Mikulis, M.J.B.; Little, A.D.; Golis, M.J.

    1988-01-01

    1 - Description of program or function: FFSM (Far Field State Model) predicts the approximate geologic and climatic state of a site for a nuclear waste repository over relatively long periods of time. The purpose of FFSM is to represent quantitatively certain events and processes that could alter the effectiveness of one or more natural barriers in a waste isolation system. The barriers treated by the model are primarily components of the geologic environment surrounding the repository, although biosphere components (e.g. climate parameters) that could affect the impact of radionuclide releases are also considered. These components are treated outside the realm of wastes or repository-induced effects, which is indicated by use of the term f ar field . The model treats both natural and man-induced changes in these barriers within a probabilistic framework, and it accounts for cumulative and interactive effects of multiple phenomena. 2 - Method of solution: Fifteen submodels are included in FFSM to account for phenomena that may be of importance individually or in combination in evaluating sites for repositories. These submodels include: undetected features, climate, worldwide glaciation, local glaciation, folding, salt dispersion, magmatic events, faulting, biosphere state, regional deformation, geomorphic processes, dissolution fronts, localized dissolution (breccia pipes), solution mining, and drilling. FFSM can be used in both a deterministic mode, to evaluate interactions or to calculate point values, and a probabilistic mode, to make statistical estimates of future changes. In the probabilistic mode, Monte Carlo simulation is used to generate output probabilities, based on user-supplied input, largely in the form of probability density functions for variable or uncertain parameters

  3. Dismantlement and Radioactive Waste Management of DPRK Nuclear Facilities

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jooho, W.; Baldwin, G. T.

    2005-04-01

    One critical aspect of any denuclearization of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) involves dismantlement of its nuclear facilities and management of their associated radioactive wastes. The decommissioning problem for its two principal operational plutonium facilities at Yongbyun, the 5MWe nuclear reactor and the Radiochemical Laboratory reprocessing facility, alone present a formidable challenge. Dismantling those facilities will create radioactive waste in addition to existing inventories of spent fuel and reprocessing wastes. Negotiations with the DPRK, such as the Six Party Talks, need to appreciate the enormous scale of the radioactive waste management problem resulting from dismantlement. The two operating plutonium facilities, along with their legacy wastes, will result in anywhere from 50 to 100 metric tons of uranium spent fuel, as much as 500,000 liters of liquid high-level waste, as well as miscellaneous high-level waste sources from the Radiochemical Laboratory. A substantial quantity of intermediate-level waste will result from disposing 600 metric tons of graphite from the reactor, an undetermined quantity of chemical decladding liquid waste from reprocessing, and hundreds of tons of contaminated concrete and metal from facility dismantlement. Various facilities for dismantlement, decontamination, waste treatment and packaging, and storage will be needed. The shipment of spent fuel and liquid high level waste out of the DPRK is also likely to be required. Nuclear facility dismantlement and radioactive waste management in the DPRK are all the more difficult because of nuclear nonproliferation constraints, including the call by the United States for “complete, verifiable and irreversible dismantlement,” or “CVID.” It is desirable to accomplish dismantlement quickly, but many aspects of the radioactive waste management cannot be achieved without careful assessment, planning and preparation, sustained commitment, and long

  4. Dismantlement and Radioactive Waste Management of DPRK Nuclear Facilities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jooho, W.; Baldwin, G.T.

    2005-01-01

    One critical aspect of any denuclearization of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) involves dismantlement of its nuclear facilities and management of their associated radioactive wastes. The decommissioning problem for its two principal operational plutonium facilities at Yongbyun, the 5MWe nuclear reactor and the Radiochemical Laboratory reprocessing facility, alone present a formidable challenge. Dismantling those facilities will create radioactive waste in addition to existing inventories of spent fuel and reprocessing wastes. Negotiations with the DPRK, such as the Six Party Talks, need to appreciate the enormous scale of the radioactive waste management problem resulting from dismantlement. The two operating plutonium facilities, along with their legacy wastes, will result in anywhere from 50 to 100 metric tons of uranium spent fuel, as much as 500,000 liters of liquid high-level waste, as well as miscellaneous high-level waste sources from the Radiochemical Laboratory. A substantial quantity of intermediate-level waste will result from disposing 600 metric tons of graphite from the reactor, an undetermined quantity of chemical decladding liquid waste from reprocessing, and hundreds of tons of contaminated concrete and metal from facility dismantlement. Various facilities for dismantlement, decontamination, waste treatment and packaging, and storage will be needed. The shipment of spent fuel and liquid high level waste out of the DPRK is also likely to be required. Nuclear facility dismantlement and radioactive waste management in the DPRK are all the more difficult because of nuclear nonproliferation constraints, including the call by the United States for 'complete, verifiable and irreversible dismantlement,' or 'CVID.' It is desirable to accomplish dismantlement quickly, but many aspects of the radioactive waste management cannot be achieved without careful assessment, planning and preparation, sustained commitment, and long completion times

  5. Corrosion of Spent Nuclear Fuel: The Long-Term Assessment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ewing, Rodney C.

    2003-01-01

    The successful disposal of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) is one of the most serious challenges to the successful completion of the nuclear fuel cycle and the future of nuclear power generation. In the United States, 21 percent of the electricity is generated by 107 commercial nuclear power plants (NPP), each of which generates 20 metric tons of spent nuclear fuel annually. In 1996, the total accumulation of spent nuclear fuel was 33,700 metric tons of heavy metal (MTHM) stored at 70 sites around the country. The end-of-life projection for current nuclear power plants (NPP) is approximately 86,000 MTHM. In the proposed nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain over 95% of the radioactivity originates from spent nuclear fuel. World-wide in 1998, approximately 130,000 MTHM of SNF have accumulated, most of it located at 236 NPP in 36 countries. Annual production of SNF is approximately 10,000 MTHM, containing about 100 tons of ''reactor grade'' plutonium. Any reasonable increase in the proportion of energy production by NPP, i.e., as a substitute for hydrocarbon-based sources of energy, will significantly increase spent nuclear fuel production. Spent nuclear fuel is essentially UO 2 with approximately 4-5 atomic percent actinides and fission product elements. A number of these elements have long half-lives hence, the long-term behavior of the UO 2 is an essential concern in the evaluation of the safety and risk of a repository for spent nuclear fuel. One of the unique and scientifically most difficult aspects of the successful disposal of spent nuclear fuel is the extrapolation of short-term laboratory data (hours to years) to the long time periods (10 3 to 10 5 years) as required by the performance objectives set in regulations, i.e. 10 CFR 60. The direct verification of these extrapolations or interpolations is not possible, but methods must be developed to demonstrate compliance with government regulations and to satisfy the public that there is a reasonable basis for

  6. Nuclear wastes management

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2005-01-01

    This document is the proceedings of the debate that took place at the French Senate on April 13, 2005 about the long-term French policy of radioactive wastes management. The different points tackled during the debate concern: the 3 axes of research of the 1991 law, the public acceptance about the implementation of repositories, the regional economic impact, the cost and financing, the lack of experience feedback, the reversibility or irreversibility of the storage, the share of nuclear energy in the sustainable development policy, the European Pressurized Reactor (EPR) project, the privatization of Electricite de France (EdF) etc. (J.S.)

  7. Nuclear wastes management. 1. round table - geologic disposal as questioned by the public in concern; Gestion des dechets nucleaires. 1. table ronde le stockage geologique - la mise en question par les publics concernes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2005-07-01

    The law from December 30, 1991, precisely defines 3 axes of researches for the management of high level and long-lived radioactive wastes: separation/transmutation, surface storage and underground disposal. A global evaluation report about these researches is to be supplied in 2006 by the French government to the Parliament. A first synthesis of the knowledge gained after 14 years of research has led the national commission of the public debate (CNDP) to organize a national debate about the general options of management of high-level and long-lived radioactive wastes before the 2006 date line. The debate comprises 4 public hearings (September 2005: Bar-le-Duc, Saint-Dizier, Pont-du-Gard, Cherbourg), 12 round-tables (October and November 2005: Paris, Joinville, Caen, Nancy, Marseille), a synthesis meeting (December 2005, Dunkerque) and a closing meeting (January 2006, Lyon). This document is the synthesis of the debates of the last round table held at Paris. This meeting gathers representatives of the different actors of the nuclear industry, ministers, public authorities, non governmental organizations who argue the questions asked by peoples from the audience. The topics concern various aspects of waste management, like the quantity of wastes in concern, the reversibility of storages, the monitoring of waste facilities once closed down, the related costs, and the general safety questions about the suitability of the clay formation near the Bure site for the disposal of high-level and long-lived radioactive wastes. A second part of the meeting addresses some remarks about the information of the general public and the decision making process. Finally, five presentations (slides) are attached to these proceedings and treat of: the safety of the disposal in deep geologic formation; the management of spent fuels in Canada; the nuclear wastes R and D in Sweden; the researches and projects in Belgium for the geologic disposal of long-lived radioactive wastes; the results

  8. Nuclear wastes management. 1. round table - geologic disposal as questioned by the public in concern; Gestion des dechets nucleaires. 1. table ronde le stockage geologique - la mise en question par les publics concernes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2005-07-01

    The law from December 30, 1991, precisely defines 3 axes of researches for the management of high level and long-lived radioactive wastes: separation/transmutation, surface storage and underground disposal. A global evaluation report about these researches is to be supplied in 2006 by the French government to the Parliament. A first synthesis of the knowledge gained after 14 years of research has led the national commission of the public debate (CNDP) to organize a national debate about the general options of management of high-level and long-lived radioactive wastes before the 2006 date line. The debate comprises 4 public hearings (September 2005: Bar-le-Duc, Saint-Dizier, Pont-du-Gard, Cherbourg), 12 round-tables (October and November 2005: Paris, Joinville, Caen, Nancy, Marseille), a synthesis meeting (December 2005, Dunkerque) and a closing meeting (January 2006, Lyon). This document is the synthesis of the debates of the last round table held at Paris. This meeting gathers representatives of the different actors of the nuclear industry, ministers, public authorities, non governmental organizations who argue the questions asked by peoples from the audience. The topics concern various aspects of waste management, like the quantity of wastes in concern, the reversibility of storages, the monitoring of waste facilities once closed down, the related costs, and the general safety questions about the suitability of the clay formation near the Bure site for the disposal of high-level and long-lived radioactive wastes. A second part of the meeting addresses some remarks about the information of the general public and the decision making process. Finally, five presentations (slides) are attached to these proceedings and treat of: the safety of the disposal in deep geologic formation; the management of spent fuels in Canada; the nuclear wastes R and D in Sweden; the researches and projects in Belgium for the geologic disposal of long-lived radioactive wastes; the results

  9. Finnish Research Programme on Nuclear Waste Management (KYT). Framework Programme for 2002-2005

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rasilainen, K.

    2002-12-01

    The new Finnish research programme on nuclear waste management (KYT) will be conducted in 2002 - 2005. This framework programme describes the starting point, the basic aims and the organisation of the research programme. The starting point of the KYT programme is derived from the present state and future challenges of Finnish nuclear waste management. The research programme is funded mainly by the Ministry of Trade and Industry (KTM), the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK), Posiva Oy, Fortum Oyj, Teollisuuden Voima Oy (TVO), and the National Technology Agency (Tekes). As both regulators and implementors are involved, the research programme concentrates on neutral research topics that must be studied in any case. Methods and tools for experimental and theoretical studies fall in this category. State of the art -reviews on relevant topics also create national know-how. Topics that directly belong to licensing activities of nuclear waste management are excluded from the research programme. KYT carries out technical studies that increase national know-how in the area of nuclear waste management. The aim is to maintain and develop basic expertise needed in the operations derived from the national nuclear waste management plan. The studies have been divided into strategic studies and studies enhancing the long-term safety of spent nuclear fuel disposal. Strategic studies support the overall feasibility of Finnish nuclear waste management. These studies include basic options and overall safety principles related to nuclear fuel cycle and nuclear waste management. In addition, general cost estimates as well as general safety considerations related to transportations, low- and medium level wastes, and decommissioning are included in strategic studies. Studies supporting the long-term safety of spent fuel disposal include issues related to performance assessment methodology, release of radionuclides from the repository, behaviour of bedrock and groundwater

  10. Radioactivity and nuclear waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saas, A.

    1996-01-01

    Radioactive wastes generated by nuclear activities must be reprocessed using specific treatments before packaging, storage and disposal. This digest paper gives first a classification of radioactive wastes according to their radionuclides content activity and half-life, and the amount of wastes from the different categories generated each year by the different industries. Then, the radiotoxicity of nuclear wastes is evaluated according to the reprocessing treatments used and to their environmental management (surface storage or burial). (J.S.)

  11. RDandD Programme 2010. Programme for research, development and demonstration of methods for the management and disposal of nuclear waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2010-09-01

    The RD and D programme 2010 gives an account of SKB's plans for research, development and demonstration during the period 2011-2016. SKB's activities are divided into two main areas - the programme for Low and Intermediate Level Waste (the Loma program) and the Nuclear Fuel Program. The RD and D Programme 2010 consists of five parts: Part I: Overall Plan, Part II: Loma program, Part III: Nuclear Fuel Program, Part IV: Research on analysis of long-term safety, Part V: Social Science Research. The 2007 RD and D programme was focused primarily on technology development to realize the final repository for spent nuclear fuel. The actions described were aimed at increasing awareness of long-term safety and to obtain technical data for application under the Nuclear Activities Act for the final repository for spent fuel and under the Environmental Code of the repository system. Many important results from these efforts are reported in this program. An overall account of the results will be given in the Licensing application in early 2011. The authorities' review of RD and D programme in 2007 and completion of the program called for clarification of plans and programs for the final repository for short-lived radioactive waste, SFR, and the final repository for waste, SFL. This RD and D program describes these plans in a more detailed way

  12. Nuclear waste management

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1982-12-01

    The subject is discussed, with special reference to the UK, under the headings: radiation; origins of the waste (mainly from nuclear power programme; gas, liquid, solid; various levels of activity); dealing with waste (methods of processing, storage, disposal); high-active waste (storage, vitrification, study of means of eventual disposal); waste management (UK organisation to manage low and intermediate level waste). (U.K.)

  13. Log live high activity radioactive wastes / Researches and results law of the 30 December 1991. Separation and transmutation of long lived radionuclides; Les dechets radioactifs a haute activite et a vie longue / recherches et resultats Loi du 30 decembre 1991. Separation et transmutation des radionucleides a vie longue

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2005-12-15

    The law of the 30 December 1991 on the high activity long lived radioactive wastes reached the end. This synthesis final document presents the scientific and technological results, obtained still the end of 2005, on the separation and the transmutation of long lived radionuclides of high activity long lived radioactive wastes. It is organized in five chapters: a presentation of the context and the historical aspects, the researches, the objectives and the strategy of the axis 1, the researches results on the advanced separation, the researches results on the transmutation, the scenario of separation-transmutation and their environmental, technical and economical impacts. (A.L.B.)

  14. Transmutation of radioactive waste: Effect on the nuclear fuel cycle

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rasmussen, N.C.; Pigford, T.H.

    1997-01-01

    A committee of the National Research Council reviewed three concepts for transmuting radionuclides recovered from the chemical reprocessing of commercial light-water-reactor (LWR) fuel: LWR transmutation reactors fueled with recycled actinides, advanced liquid-metal reactors (ALMRs), and accelerator-driven subcritical reactors for transmutation of waste (ATW). The concepts were evaluated in terms of: (1) the extent to which waste disposal would benefit from transmutation, (2) time required to reduce the total inventory of radionuclides in the waste and fuel cycle, (3) the complexity of the overall transmutation system, (4) the extent of new development required, and (5) institutional and economic problems of operating such systems. Transmutation could affect geologic disposal of waste by reducing the inventory of transuranics (TRUs), fission products, and other radionuclides in the waste. Reducing the inventory of transuranics does not necessarily affect radiation doses to people who use contaminated ground water if the dissolution rate of transuranics in waste is controlled by elemental solubilities. However, reducing inventories of Am and Pu would decrease potential hazards from human intrusion. The likelihood for underground nuclear criticality would also be reduced. The long-lived fission products Tc-99, I-129, Cs-135 and others typically contribute most to the long-term radiation doses to future populations who use contaminated water from the repository. Their transmutation requires thermal or epithermal neutrons, readily available in LWR and ATW transmutors. ALMR and LWR transmutors would require several hundred years to reduce the total transuranic inventory by even a factor of 10 at constant electric power, and thousands of years for a hundred-fold reduction. For the same electrical power, the ATW could reduce total transuranic inventory about tenfold more rapidly, because of its very high thermal-neutron flux. However, extremely low process losses would be

  15. Nuclear waste repository research at the micro- to nanoscale

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schäfer, T.; Denecke, M. A.

    2010-04-01

    Micro- and nano-focused synchrotron radiation techniques to investigate determinant processes in contaminant transport in geological media are becoming especially an increasingly used tool in nuclear waste disposal research. There are a number of reasons for this but primarily they are driven by the need to characterize actinide speciation localized in components of heterogeneous natural systems. We summarize some of the recent research conducted by researchers of the Institute of Nuclear Waste Disposal (INE) at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology using micro- and nano-focused X-ray beams for characterization of colloids and their interaction with minerals and of elemental and phase distributions in potential repository host rocks and actinide speciation in a repository natural analogues sample. Such investigations are prerequisite to ensuring reliable assessment of the long term radiological safety for proposed nuclear waste disposal sites.

  16. Nuclear waste management. Quarterly progress report, April-June 1980

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Platt, A.M.; Powell, J.A. (comps.)

    1980-09-01

    The status of the following programs is reported: high-level waste immobilization; alternative waste forms; Nuclear Waste Materials Characterization Center; TRU waste immobilization; TRU waste decontamination; krypton solidification; thermal outgassing; iodine-129 fixation; monitoring and physical characterization of unsaturated zone transport; well-logging instrumentation development; mobility of organic complexes of fission products in soils; waste management system studies; waste management safety studies; assessment of effectiveness of geologic isolation systems; waste/rock interactions technology; systems study on engineered barriers; criteria for defining waste isolation; spent fuel and fuel pool component integrity program; analysis of spent fuel policy implementation; asphalt emulsion sealing of uranium tailings; application of long-term chemical biobarriers for uranium tailings; and development of backfill material.

  17. Fluorescent CdSe/ZnS nanocrystal-peptide conjugates for long-term, nontoxic imaging and nuclear targeting in living cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen, Fanqing; Gerion, Daniele

    2004-01-01

    One of the biggest challenges in cell biology is the imaging of living cells. For this purpose, the most commonly used visualization tool is fluorescent markers. However, conventional labels, such as organic fluorescent dyes or green fluorescent proteins (GFP), lack the photostability to allow the tracking of cellular events that happen over minutes to days. In addition, they are either toxic to cells (dyes), or difficult to construct and manipulate (GFP). We report here the use of a new class of fluorescent labels, silanized CdSe/ZnS nanocrystal-peptide conjugates, for imaging the nuclei of living cells. CdSe/ZnS nanocrystals, or so called quantum dots (qdots), are extremely photostable, and have been used extensively in cellular imaging of fixed cells. However, most of the studies about living cells so far have been concerned only with particle entry into the cytoplasm or the localization of receptors on the cell membrane. Specific targeting of qdots to the nucleus of living cells ha s not been reported in previous studies, due to the lack of a targeting mechanism and proper particle size. Here we demonstrate for the first time the construction of a CdSe/ZnS nanocrystal-peptide conjugate that carries the SV40 large T antigen nuclear localization signal (NLS), and the transfection of the complex into living cells. By a novel adaptation of commonly used cell transfection techniques for qdots, we were able to introduce and retain the NLS-qdots conjugate in living cells for up to a week without detectable negative cellular effects. Moreover, we can visualize the movement of the CdSe/ZnS nanocrystal-peptide conjugates from cytoplasm to the nucleus, and the accumulation of the complex in the cell nucleus, over a long observation time period. This report opens the door for using qdots to visualize long-term biological events that happen in the cell nucleus, and provides a new nontoxic, long-term imaging platform for cell nuclear processes

  18. An optimized cask technology for conditioning, transportation and long term interim storage of 'End of Life' nuclear waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lefort-Mary, Florence; Clement, Gilles; Lamouroux, Christine; Dumont, Bruno

    2016-01-01

    When preparing for the decommissioning of a nuclear facility, during its 'end of life' management and while performing the actual dismantling operations, one has to consider a large diversity of nuclear waste in term of types, volumes and activities. Customers are frequently faced with the obligation to undertake multiple and costly waste management operations including handling, reconditioning or re-transferring from one package to another, for example when moving from on-site storage to transportation. To address this issue, a new - highly flexible - cask system named TN R MW is being developed. This cask has a total weight of 10 T and is compliant with the 2012 IAEA regulations. It is developed on a flexible concept basis, adaptable to the various nuclear needs, including: from IP2 to B(U) / B(U)F; on-site/ international transportation; long term interim storage. Licensing and manufacturing of number of items of this TN R MW family is underway. (authors)

  19. High priority nuclear data request list. The data for long-lived fission products, minor actinides and the thorium cycle

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rowlands, J. [Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development, Nuclear Energy Agency, 75 - Paris (France)

    2002-07-01

    This workshop is organised by the Research Group GEDEON together with CERN, OECD-NEA and the CFDN (French Committee for Nuclear Data). It is the continuation of the one at CERN on September 21 and 22, 1998, jointly organised with EC, GEDEON and OCDE-NEA. This last one is centred on the CERN proposal of a facility for neutron production up to 250 MeV, devoted to neutron data measurements. The first aim of the Paris workshop is to identify the present status of specific nuclear data relevant to innovative options (accelerator driven system - ADS and thorium) in the nuclear fuel cycle, beyond what has been gathered for standard reactors (PWR, FBR) and for the associated fuel cycles based on uranium and plutonium. The following topics were presented and discussed: 1. extension of present evaluated nuclear data files beyond 20 MeV needed to correctly describe the high energy part (up to approximately 200 MeV) of the spallation process used to generate the external neutrons needed for the sub-critical assemblies; 2. differential and integral cross section data in relation with the use of a thorium based; 3. the same for minor actinides and some long-lived fission residues likely to be destroyed in reactors; 4. the same for new type of materials such as lead or lead-bismuth, to be used as spallation target or as cooling, in relation with corrosion and irradiation effects. Beyond these specific issues, ADS will also take advantage of better known nuclear data coming from the existing reactors in operation. Very recent results related to spallation target physics such as neutron and residues production from heavy targets were also presented at this workshop. One very important aim of this workshop is also to bring physicists from different origin, especially from CERN, to cooperate in a program on nuclear data in relation with innovative options. This document brings together two articles entitled ''high priority nuclear data request list. The data for long lived

  20. Natural scientific strategy for nuclear wastes: Philosophy of Dr. Rodney C. Ewing at Stanford

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Woo, T. H. [The Cyber University of Korea, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    2016-10-15

    In the geological study, the naturally adapted region was discovered in Oklo, a central African area of Gabon seen in Fig. 1. Currently, this naturally operated nuclear fission site has been stabilized where the artificial shielding structure was not equipped. So, it has been studied to be an exemplified high-level nuclear waste repository. This could give a lesson that one should make the nuclear repository construction. The simplified configuration of the Oklo natural nuclear reactor site is described. The important mentions of Dr. Ewing reflected his philosophy in geological repository and there is a biography. It is necessary to understand the very big difference between human’s cognitive timescale and geological timescale where it could be nearly impossible to construct the long-term or even permanent nuclear waste repository. It is important to understand the opposite opinions of the nuclear waste repository. The government made the milestone of the South Korean repository policy in which the final repository completion was decided as 2053, about 40 years later. Until the time, there is enough time to rethink for the long-term waste repository. It is certain the policy-maker of this nuclear waste policy will be out of the nuclear community before 2053. This means the politician will not take any responsibility of the result of this policy.

  1. Natural scientific strategy for nuclear wastes: Philosophy of Dr. Rodney C. Ewing at Stanford

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Woo, T. H.

    2016-01-01

    In the geological study, the naturally adapted region was discovered in Oklo, a central African area of Gabon seen in Fig. 1. Currently, this naturally operated nuclear fission site has been stabilized where the artificial shielding structure was not equipped. So, it has been studied to be an exemplified high-level nuclear waste repository. This could give a lesson that one should make the nuclear repository construction. The simplified configuration of the Oklo natural nuclear reactor site is described. The important mentions of Dr. Ewing reflected his philosophy in geological repository and there is a biography. It is necessary to understand the very big difference between human’s cognitive timescale and geological timescale where it could be nearly impossible to construct the long-term or even permanent nuclear waste repository. It is important to understand the opposite opinions of the nuclear waste repository. The government made the milestone of the South Korean repository policy in which the final repository completion was decided as 2053, about 40 years later. Until the time, there is enough time to rethink for the long-term waste repository. It is certain the policy-maker of this nuclear waste policy will be out of the nuclear community before 2053. This means the politician will not take any responsibility of the result of this policy

  2. Aube storage centre for short-lived low- and intermediate-level wastes. Annual report 2009

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2010-06-01

    The National Radioactive Waste Management Agency (Andra), was established by the December 1991 Waste Act as a public body in charge of the long-term management of all radioactive waste, under the supervision of the Ministry of Ecology, Energy, Sustainable Development and the Sea (formerly the Ministry of Industry and the Ministry of Environment), and the Ministry of Research. The Andra operates two storage centers in the Aube region (France): the center for short-lived low- and intermediate-level wastes, and the center for very-low-level radioactive wastes. This document is the 2009 activity report of the center for short-lived low- and intermediate-level wastes. It presents a review of the activities of the center: presentation of the installations, safety and radiation protection, events or incidents, environmental monitoring, wastes management, public information, opinion of the Health and safety Committee (CHSCT)

  3. Aube storage center for short-lived low- and intermediate-level wastes. Annual report 2010

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2011-06-01

    The National Radioactive Waste Management Agency (Andra), was established by the December 1991 Waste Act as a public body in charge of the long-term management of all radioactive waste, under the supervision of the Ministry of Ecology, Energy, Sustainable Development and the Sea (formerly the Ministry of Industry and the Ministry of Environment), and the Ministry of Research. The Andra operates two storage centers in the Aube region (France): the center for short-lived low- and intermediate-level wastes, and the center for very-low-level radioactive wastes. This document is the 2010 activity report of the center for short-lived low- and intermediate-level wastes. It presents a review of the activities of the center: presentation of the installations, safety and radiation protection, events or incidents, environmental monitoring, wastes management, public information, recommendations of the Health and safety Committee (CHSCT)

  4. The management of radioactive waste, as practised and planned

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bjurstroem, Sten

    1991-01-01

    The development of radioactive waste management has recently been evaluated and discussed by an expert group organized by the Uranium Institute. The report of the group describes the knowledge obtained through research and development, and the technical and administrative systems in operation or planned for the various kinds of waste within the nuclear fuel cycle. It also demonstrates the wide international concensus that methods are presently available to design and site repositories for long-term safe disposal of long-lived wastes and to evaluate the radiological impacts of waste disposal. (author)

  5. Particle physics contribution to the elimination of nuclear waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Revol, Jean-Pierre

    2001-01-01

    My introduction on fundamental research and innovation will explain how CERN, a laboratory which is a priori entirely dedicated to fundamental research, came to contribute to a major challenge of society: the energy problem. I will describe the motivation behind the original experimental effort carried out at CERN (FEAT and TARC experiments) and discuss some of the main elements of the energy problem. Progress in particle accelerator technology makes it possible nowadays to use a proton accelerator to produce energy and eliminate nuclear waste efficiently. The Energy Amplifier proposed by Carlo Rubbia and his group is a subcritical fast neutron system driven by a proton accelerator. It is particularly attractive as it could destroy, through fission, transuranic elements produced by present nuclear reactors. The Energy Amplifier could also efficiently transform long lived fission fragments at minimal cost using the concept of Adiabatic Resonance Crossing (ARC) recently tested at CERN with the TARC experiment. The ARC concept can be extended to several other domains of application (production of radioactive isotopes for medicine and industry, neutron research applications, etc.)

  6. Fast molten salt reactor-transmuter for closing nuclear fuel cycle on minor actinides

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dudnikov, A. A.; Alekseev, P. N.; Subbotin, S. A.

    2007-01-01

    Creation fast critical molten salt reactor for burning-out minor actinides and separate long-living fission products in the closed nuclear fuel cycle is the most perspective and actual direction. The reactor on melts salts - molten salt homogeneous reactor with the circulating fuel, working as burner and transmuter long-living radioactive nuclides in closed nuclear fuel cycle, can serve as an effective ecological cordon from contamination of the nature long-living radiotoxic nuclides. High-flux fast critical molten-salt nuclear reactors in structure of the closed nuclear fuel cycle of the future nuclear power can effectively burning-out / transmute dangerous long-living radioactive nuclides, make radioisotopes, partially utilize plutonium and produce thermal and electric energy. Such reactor allows solving the problems constraining development of large-scale nuclear power, including fueling, minimization of radioactive waste and non-proliferation. Burning minor actinides in molten salt reactor is capable to facilitate work solid fuel power reactors in system NP with the closed nuclear fuel cycle and to reduce transient losses at processing and fabrications fuel pins. At substantiation MSR-transmuter/burner as solvents fuel nuclides for molten-salt reactors various salts were examined, for example: LiF - BeF2; NaF - LiF - BeF2; NaF-LiF ; NaF-ZrF4 ; LiF-NaF -KF; NaCl. RRC 'Kurchatov institute' together with other employees have developed the basic design reactor installations with molten salt reactor - burner long-living nuclides for fluoride fuel composition with the limited solubility minor actinides (MAF3 10 mol %) allows to develop in some times more effective molten salt reactor with fast neutron spectrum - burner/ transmuter of the long-living radioactive waste. In high-flux fast reactors on melts salts within a year it is possible to burn ∼300 kg minor actinides per 1 GW thermal power of reactor. The technical and economic estimation given power

  7. Materials aspects of nuclear waste isolation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bennett, J.W.

    1984-01-01

    This paper is intended to provide an overview of the nuclear waste repository performance requirements and the roles which we expect materials to play in meeting these requirements. The objective of the U.S. Dept. of Energy's (DOE) program is to provide for the safe, permanent isolation of high-level radioactive wastes from the public. The Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 (the Act) provides the mandate to accomplish this objective by establishing a program timetable, a schedule of procedures to be followed, and program funding (1 mil/kwhr for all nuclear generated electricity). The centerpiece of this plan is the design and operation of a mined geologic repository system for the permanent isolation of radioactive wastes. A nuclear waste repository contains several thousand acres of tunnels and drifts into which the nuclear waste will be emplaced, and several hundred acres for the facilities on the surface in which the waste is received, handled, and prepared for movement underground. With the exception of the nuclear material-related facilities, a repository is similar to a standard mining operation. The difference comes in what a repository is supposed to do - to contain an isolate nuclear waste from man and the environment

  8. New directions in nuclear waste disposal in Ontario Hydro

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nash, K.

    1996-01-01

    Ontario Hydro Nuclear has financial, environmental, safety and public acceptance business objectives which must be met to achieve long term sustainable success. Short term objectives of achieving nuclear excellence in safety, cost and production are vital to this success. Ontario Hydro's nuclear waste and decommissioning liabilities must be managed within these objectives. This paper outlines the financial environmental and societal considerations and responsibility framework for managing these liabilities. (author)

  9. Radiation damage in nuclear waste materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jencic, I.

    2000-01-01

    Final disposal of high-level radioactive nuclear waste is usually envisioned in some sort of ceramic material. The physical and chemical properties of host materials for nuclear waste can be altered by internal radiation and consequently their structural integrity can be jeopardized. Assessment of long-term performance of these ceramic materials is therefore vital for a safe and successful disposal. This paper presents an overview of studies on several possible candidate materials for immobilization of fission products and actinides, such as spinel (MgAl 2 O 4 ), perovskite (CaTiO 3 ), zircon (ZrSiO 4 ), and pyrochlore (Gd 2 Ti 2 O 7 and Gd 2 Zr 2 O 7 ). The basic microscopic picture of radiation damage in ceramics consists of atomic displacements and ionization. In many cases these processes result in amorphization (metaminctization) of irradiated material. The evolution of microscopic structure during irradiation leads to various macroscopic radiation effects. The connection between microscopic and macroscopic picture is in most cases at least qualitatively known and studies of radiation induced microscopic changes are therefore an essential step in the design of a reliable nuclear waste host material. The relevance of these technologically important results on our general understanding of radiation damage processes and on current research efforts in Slovenia is also addressed. (author)

  10. Accelerator-driven transmutation: a high-tech solution to some nuclear waste problems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hechanova, A.E.

    2000-01-01

    This paper discusses current technical and political issues regarding the innovative concept of using accelerator-driven transmutation processes for nuclear waste management. Two complex and related issues are addressed. First, the evolution and improvements of the design technologies are identified to indicate that there has been sufficient technological advancement with regard to a 1991 scientific peer review to warrant the advent of a large-scale national research and development program. Second, the economics and politics of the transmutation system are examined to identify non-technical barriers to the implementation of the program. Transmutation of waste has been historically viewed by nuclear engineers as one of those technologies that is too good to be true and probably too expensive to be feasible. The concept discussed in the present paper uses neutrons ( which result from protons accelerated into spallation targets)to transmute the major very long-lived hazardous materials such as the radioactive isotopes of technetium, iodine, neptunium, plutonium, americium, and curium. Although not a new concept, accelerator-driven transmutation technology (ADTT) lead by a team at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) has made some significant advances which are discussed in the present paper. (authors)

  11. Effects of post-disposal gas generation in a repository for spent fuel, high-level waste and long-lived intermediate level waste sited in opalinus clay

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Johnson, L.; Marschall, P.; Zuidema, P.; Gribi, P.

    2004-07-01

    This comprehensive report issued by the Swiss National Cooperative for the Disposal of Radioactive Waste NAGRA takes a look at post-disposal gas generation in a repository for spent fuel and highly radioactive wastes in Opalinus clay strata. This study provides a comprehensive treatment of the issue of gas generation in a repository for spent fuel (SF), vitrified high-level waste (HLW) and long-lived intermediate-level waste (ILW), sited in the Opalinus clay of the Zuercher Weinland in northern Switzerland. The issue of how gas generation in and transport from waste repositories may influence disposal system performance has been under study for many years, both at Nagra and internationally. The report consists of three main parts: (i) A synthesis of basic information on the host rock and on details of repository construction; (ii) A discussion on gas transport characteristics of the engineered barrier system and the geosphere; (iii) A discussion on the effects of gas on system performance, based on the available information on gas generation, gas transport properties and gas pathways provided in the previous parts of the report. Simplified model calculations based on a mass balance approach for the gas generated within the repository are presented and discussed

  12. Public debate on radioactive wastes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2005-01-01

    The definition and implementation of safe and perennial solutions for the management of radioactive wastes is a necessity from the point of view of both the nuclear industrialists and the public authorities, but also of the overall French citizens. For the low- or medium-level or short living radioactive wastes, some solutions have been defined are are already implemented. On the other hand, no decision has been taken so far for the long living medium to high-level radioactive wastes. Researches are in progress in this domain according to 3 ways of research defined by the law from December 30, 1991: separation-transmutation, disposal in deep underground, and long duration surface or sub-surface storage. This paper presents in a digest way, the principle, the results obtained so far, and the perspectives of each of the three solutions under study. (J.S.)

  13. Storage of nuclear waste in long boreholes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sandstedt, H.; Wichmann, C.; Pusch, R.; Boergesson, L.; Loennerberg, B.

    1991-08-01

    This report constitutes a feasibility study for the storage of high level radioactive waste in long TBM drilled tunnels. The report will form the basis for a comparison with other concepts in future analysis of the isolation performance in a typical Swedish rock structure. The suggested repository concept consists of three parallel, 4.5 km long, horizontal tunnels at a depth of 500 m constructed using TBM technology. The tunnel diameter will be about 2.4 m for deployment of canisters with a diameter of 1.6 m. The space between the canisters and rock will be totally sealed off by bentonite. The study comprises the design of canisters, canister handling and deposition, near field design, near field sealing and behaviour, and technical design of the repository. The report also includes a tentative time schedule and cost estimate, incorporating the construction phase and deployment of canisters. (au)

  14. Transmutation of radioactive nuclear waste – present status and ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Transmutation of long-lived actinides and fission products becomes an important issue of the overall nuclear fuel cycle assessment, both for existing and future reactor systems. Reliable nuclear data are required for analysis of associated neutronics. The present paper gives a review of the status of nuclear data analysis ...

  15. Long-lived activation products in reactor materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Evans, J.C.; Lepel, E.L.; Sanders, R.W.; Wilkerson, C.L.; Silker, W.; Thomas, C.W.; Abel, K.H.; Robertson, D.R.

    1984-08-01

    The purpose of this program was to assess the problems posed to reactor decommissioning by long-lived activation products in reactor construction materials. Samples of stainless steel, vessel steel, concrete, and concrete ingredients were analyzed for up to 52 elements in order to develop a data base of activatable major, minor, and trace elements. Large compositional variations were noted for some elements. Cobalt and niobium concentrations in stainless steel, for example, were found to vary by more than an order of magnitude. A thorough evaluation was made of all possible nuclear reactions that could lead to long lived activation products. It was concluded that all major activation products have been satisfactorily accounted for in decommissioning planning studies completed to date. A detailed series of calculations was carried out using average values of the measured compositions of the appropriate materials to predict the levels of activation products expected in reactor internals, vessel walls, and bioshield materials for PWR and BWR geometries. A comparison is made between calculated activation levels and regulatory guidelines for shallow land disposal according to 10 CFR 61. This analysis shows that PWR and BWR shroud material exceeds the Class C limits and is, therefore, generally unsuitable for near-surface disposal. The PWR core barrel material approaches the Class C limits. Most of the remaining massive components qualify as either Class A or B waste with the bioshield clearly Class A, even at the highest point of activation. Selected samples of activated steel and concrete were subjected to a limited radiochemical analysis program as a verification of the computer model. Reasonably good agreement with the calculations was obtained where comparison was possible. In particular, the presence of 94 Nb in activated stainless steel at or somewhat above expected levels was confirmed

  16. Radioactive waste management solutions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Siemann, Michael

    2015-01-01

    One of the more frequent questions that arise when discussing nuclear energy's potential contribution to mitigating climate change concerns that of how to manage radioactive waste. Radioactive waste is produced through nuclear power generation, but also - although to a significantly lesser extent - in a variety of other sectors including medicine, agriculture, research, industry and education. The amount, type and physical form of radioactive waste varies considerably. Some forms of radioactive waste, for example, need only be stored for a relatively short period while their radioactivity naturally decays to safe levels. Others remain radioactive for hundreds or even hundreds of thousands of years. Public concerns surrounding radioactive waste are largely related to long-lived high-level radioactive waste. Countries around the world with existing nuclear programmes are developing longer-term plans for final disposal of such waste, with an international consensus developing that the geological disposal of high-level waste (HLW) is the most technically feasible and safe solution. This article provides a brief overview of the different forms of radioactive waste, examines storage and disposal solutions, and briefly explores fuel recycling and stakeholder involvement in radioactive waste management decision making

  17. The Activities of Nuclear Training Centre Ljubljana in the Area of Radioactive Waste Management

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jencic, I.

    2006-01-01

    Nuclear Training Centre Ljubljana has several activities related to radioactive waste management. These activities include training of professionals in the area of nuclear physics and nuclear technology, radiation protection courses, organization of international courses and workshops in the area of radioactive waste management, and public information on radioactivity and waste management. The paper will describe the specifics and the extent of training related to radioactive waste. Recently we have participated in a European coordination action CETRAD and an overview of the results of this project will also be presented. Very important component of our activity is public information that is based on an information centre and live lectures to organized groups of visitors, mostly schoolchildren. About one half of one school generation of Slovenia visits the Information centre every year. A poll is conducted among visitors every year and its results are a very useful tool to follow the evolution of public opinion on nuclear energy and radioactive waste disposal. The latter is, at least in Slovenia, still considered as the major obstacle against the use of nuclear energy. (authors)

  18. Nuclear waste disposal

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schueller, W.

    1976-01-01

    The article cites and summarizes the papers on the topics: economic and ecological importance of waste management, reprocessing of nuclear fuel and recycling of uranium and plutonium, waste management and final storage, transports and organizational aspects of waste management, presented at this symposium. (HR/AK) [de

  19. Permanent Disposal of Nuclear Waste in Salt

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hansen, F. D.

    2016-12-01

    Salt formations hold promise for eternal removal of nuclear waste from our biosphere. Germany and the United States have ample salt formations for this purpose, ranging from flat-bedded formations to geologically mature dome structures. Both nations are revisiting nuclear waste disposal options, accompanied by extensive collaboration on applied salt repository research, design, and operation. Salt formations provide isolation while geotechnical barriers reestablish impermeability after waste is placed in the geology. Between excavation and closure, physical, mechanical, thermal, chemical, and hydrological processes ensue. Salt response over a range of stress and temperature has been characterized for decades. Research practices employ refined test techniques and controls, which improve parameter assessment for features of the constitutive models. Extraordinary computational capabilities require exacting understanding of laboratory measurements and objective interpretation of modeling results. A repository for heat-generative nuclear waste provides an engineering challenge beyond common experience. Long-term evolution of the underground setting is precluded from direct observation or measurement. Therefore, analogues and modeling predictions are necessary to establish enduring safety functions. A strong case for granular salt reconsolidation and a focused research agenda support salt repository concepts that include safety-by-design. Sandia National Laboratories is a multi-program laboratory managed and operated by Sandia Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation, for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-AC04-94AL85000. Author: F. D. Hansen, Sandia National Laboratories

  20. Nuclear waste management: a perspective

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Leuze, R.E.

    1980-01-01

    The scope of our problems with nuclear waste management is outlined. Present and future inventories of nuclear wastes are assessed for risk. A discussion of what is presently being done to solve waste management problems and what might be done in the future are presented

  1. Development of long-lived radionuclide partitioning technology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Eil Hee; Kwon, S. G.; Yang, H. B.

    2001-04-01

    This project was aimed at the development of an optimal process that could get recovery yields of 99% for Am and Np and 90% for Tc from a simulated radioactive waste and the improvements of unit processes. The performed works are summarized, as follows. 1) The design and the establishment of a laboratory-scale partitioning process were accomplished, and the interfacial conditions between each unit process were determined. An optimal flow diagram for long-lived radionuclide partitioning process was suggested. 2) In improvements of unit processes, a) Behaviors of the co-extraction and sequential separation for residual U, Np and Tc(/Re) by chemical and electrochemical methods were examined. b) Conditions for co-extraction of Am/RE, and selective stripping of Am with metal containing extractant and a mixed extractant were decided. c) Characteristics of adsorption and elution by ion exchange chromatography and extraction chromatography methods were analysed. d) The simulation codes for long-lived radionuclide partitioning were gathered. and reaction equations were numerically formulated. 3) An existing γ-lead cell was modified the α-γ cells for treatment of long-lived radioactive materials. 4) As the applications of new separation technologies, a) Behaviors of photo reductive precipitation for Am/RE were investigated, b) Conditions for selective extraction and stripping of Am with pyridine series extractants were established. All results will be used as the fundamental data for establishment of partitioning process and radiochemical test of long-lived radionuclides recovery technology to be performed in the next stage

  2. Future extension of the Swedish repository for low and intermediate level waste (SFR)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Carlsson, Jan

    2006-01-01

    The existing Swedish repository for low and intermediate level waste (SFR) is licensed for disposal of short-lived waste originated from operation and maintenance of Swedish nuclear power plants. The repository is foreseen to be extended to accommodate short-lived waste from the future decommissioning of the Nuclear Power Plants. Long-lived waste from operation, maintenance and eventually decommissioning will be stored some years before disposal in a geological repository. This repository can be build either as a further extension of the SFR facility or as a separate repository. This paper discusses the strategy of a step-wise extended repository where the extensions are performed during operation of the existing parts of the repository. It describes the process for licensing new parts of the repository (and re-license of the existing parts). (author)

  3. Politics of nuclear waste

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Colglazier, E.W. Jr. (eds.)

    1982-01-01

    In November of 1979, the Program in Science, Technology and Humanism and the Energy Committee of the Aspen Institute organized a conference on resolving the social, political, and institutional conflicts over the permanent siting of radioactive wastes. This book was written as a result of this conference. The chapters provide a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of the governance issues connected with radioactive waste management as well as a sampling of the diverse views of the interested parties. Chapter 1 looks in depth of radioactive waste management in the United States, with special emphasis on the events of the Carter Administration as well as on the issues with which the Reagen administration must deal. Chapter 2 compares waste management policies and programs among the industralized countries. Chapter 3 examines the factional controversies in the last administration and Congress over nuclear waste issues. Chapter 4 examines the complex legal questions involved in the federal-state conflicts over nuclear waste management. Chapter 5 examines the concept of consultation and concurrence from the perspectives of a host state that is a candidate for a repository and an interested state that has special concerns regarding the demonstration of nuclear waste disposal technology. Chapter 6 examines US and European perspectives concerning public participation in nuclear waste management. Chapter 7 discusses propaganda in the issues. The epilogue attempts to assess the prospects for consensus in the United States on national policies for radioactive waste management. All of the chapter in this book should be interpreted as personal assessments. (DP)

  4. Politics of nuclear waste

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Colglazier, E.W. Jr.

    1982-01-01

    In November of 1979, the Program in Science, Technology and Humanism and the Energy Committee of the Aspen Institute organized a conference on resolving the social, political, and institutional conflicts over the permanent siting of radioactive wastes. This book was written as a result of this conference. The chapters provide a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of the governance issues connected with radioactive waste management as well as a sampling of the diverse views of the interested parties. Chapter 1 looks in depth of radioactive waste management in the United States, with special emphasis on the events of the Carter Administration as well as on the issues with which the Reagen administration must deal. Chapter 2 compares waste management policies and programs among the industralized countries. Chapter 3 examines the factional controversies in the last administration and Congress over nuclear waste issues. Chapter 4 examines the complex legal questions involved in the federal-state conflicts over nuclear waste management. Chapter 5 examines the concept of consultation and concurrence from the perspectives of a host state that is a candidate for a repository and an interested state that has special concerns regarding the demonstration of nuclear waste disposal technology. Chapter 6 examines US and European perspectives concerning public participation in nuclear waste management. Chapter 7 discusses propaganda in the issues. The epilogue attempts to assess the prospects for consensus in the United States on national policies for radioactive waste management. All of the chapter in this book should be interpreted as personal assessments

  5. Nuclear waste - the unsolved problem

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boyle, S.

    1986-01-01

    Nuclear waste is identified and the problems created by reprocessing are mentioned. The disposal option for low, intermediate and high-level radioactive wastes are discussed. Sites where disposal has taken place have been found to be unsatisfactory because of contamination and radionuclide migration. The Nuclear Industry Radioactive Waste Executive (NIREX) is not seen as having any more credibility than the other nuclear authorities involved (BNFL, UKAEA, CEGB). Until an adequate, publically acceptable, method of disposing of the wastes already created has been found the author states that no more should be created. (U.K.)

  6. Prospects of nuclear waste management and radioactive waste management

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Koprda, V.

    2015-01-01

    The policy of radioactive waste management in the Slovak Republic is based on the principles defined by law on the National Nuclear Fund (NJF) and sets basic objectives: 1 Safe and reliable nuclear decommissioning; 2 The minimization of radioactive waste; 3. Selection of a suitable fuel cycle; 4 Safe storage of radioactive waste (RAW) 5 Security chain management of radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel (SNF); 6 Nuclear safety; 7 The application of a graduated approach; 8 Respect of the principle 'a polluter pays'; 9 Objective decision-making process; 10 Responsibility. In connection with the above objectives, it appears necessary to build required facilities that are listed in this article.

  7. Nuclear waste management in Sweden: a challenge also for the social scientist

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sundqvist, G.; Soederberg, O.

    1991-01-01

    SKN (The National Board for Spent Nuclear Fuel) has since 1983 supported research in the social sciences in connection with the nuclear waste issue. The studies have among other things focused on: - public perception and public knowledge of the nuclear waste. - how risks in a long term perspective are perceived. - how the mass media has paid attention to the nuclear waste issue during the 1980s. These studies have been made by political scientists and psychologists. This paper includes an account for some of the more interesting results form this research. However, the paper starts with a discussion of the motives behind the decisions to support and use social science research in connection with the nuclear waste issue. In brief: Why is social science important? This question is relevant not only to the nuclear waste issue but also to many other questions which are dependent on research and technical skill, attract public concern, are politically controversial and require social regulations. Examples of this kind of questions which grow in importance in our modern technical society are: nuclear power, biotechniques, chemicals; computerization and many environmental problems. (au)

  8. A HOLISTIC APPROACH FOR DISPOSITION OF LONG-LIVED RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Eriksson, Leif G.; Dials, George E.; Parker, Frank L.

    2003-02-27

    During the past 45 years, one of the most challenging scientific, engineering, socio-economic, and political tasks and obligations of our time has been to site and develop technical, politically acceptable, solutions to the safe disposition of long-lived radioactive materials (LLRMs). However, at the end of the year 2002, the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) site in the United States of America (USA) hosts the world's only operating LLRM-disposal system, which (1) is based on the LLRM-disposal principles recommended by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) in 1957, i.e., deep geological disposal in a ''stable'' salt vault/repository, (2) complies with the nation's ''Environmental Radiation Protection Standards for the Management and Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel, High-Level and Transuranic Radioactive Wastes'', and (3) may receive 175,584 cubic meters (m3) of transuranic radioactive waste (TRUW)a. Pending the scheduled opening of repositories for once-used nuclear fuel (OUNF) in the USA, Sweden, and Finland in the years 2010, 2015, and 2017, respectively, LLRM-disposal solutions remain the missing link in all national LLRM-disposition programs. Furthermore, for a variety of reasons, many nations with nuclear programs have chosen a ''spectator'' stance in terms of enhancing the global nuclear safety culture and the nuclear renaissance, and have either ''slow-tracked'' or deferred their LLRM-disposal programs to allow time for an informed national consensus to evolve based on LLRM-disposition experiences and solutions gained elsewhere. In the meantime, LLRMs will continue to amass in different types and levels of safeguarded storage facilities around the world. In an attempt to contribute to the enhancement of the global nuclear safety culture and the nuclear renaissance, the authors developed the sample holistic approach for synergistic disposition of LLRMs comprising LLRM

  9. Science, Society, and America's Nuclear Waste: The Waste Management System, Unit 4. Teacher Guide. Second Edition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Department of Energy, Washington, DC. Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management, Washington, DC.

    This guide is Unit 4 of the four-part series, Science, Society, and America's Nuclear Waste, produced by the U.S. Department of Energy's Office Civilian Radioactive Waste Management. The goal of this unit is to explain how transportation, a geologic repository, and the multi-purpose canister will work together to provide short-term and long-term…

  10. Environmental Impact Statement on the concept for disposal of Canada's nuclear fuel waste

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1994-07-01

    This report describes the many fundamental issues relating to the strategy being proposed by Atomic Energy of Canada Limited for the long-term management of nuclear fuel waste. It discusses the need for a method for disposal of nuclear fuel waste that would permanently protect human health and the natural environment and that would not unfairly burden future generations. It also describes the background and mandate of the Nuclear Fuel Waste Management Program in Canada.

  11. NGOs Participation in the Swedish EIA Process to Establish a Nuclear Waste Disposal

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Holmstrand, Olov

    2006-01-01

    Swedish environmental NGOs have no complete consensus on the issue of nuclear waste management. However, concerning the demands on the the EIA process most of the opinions coincide. The following standpoints generally reflect those represented by MKG as interpreted by the author Continuation of nuclear waste production, also in connection with uranium mining, is inconsistent with sustainable development. The problems of nuclear waste management must be dealt with now and not left to an undecided future. However, this does not automatically mean that any final solution needs be implemented within a short period of time. Irrespective of storage or disposal method nuclear waste is a possible source for nuclear weapons for a very long time and must therefore be subject to long-term safeguards. Any storage or disposal must be designed considering the risk of intention or unintentional intrusion. The management of nuclear waste is a national task. The thus be performed on a national scale, not as now in the municipal and to some extent regional scale. The choice of method should precede the choice of site. The choice of method should be made according to a systematic process and considering functional conditions set up in advance. Different alternatives should be evaluated and compared according to strict long-term environmental standards that comply with sustainable development. This demands extensive information on more than one possible method. The choice of site should also be made according to a systematic process considering functional conditions set up in advance. A clear and understandable sieving process at a national scale should be performed to find the best possible site considering environmental conditions. Changes have to be made so that an independent body supervises the EIA process instead of the nuclear industry. This increases the chance that the choice of method and site gain legitimacy and acceptance in the eyes of ordinary citizens

  12. NGOs Participation in the Swedish EIA Process to Establish a Nuclear Waste Disposal

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Holmstrand, Olov [The Waste Network (Avfallskedjan), Lerum (Sweden)

    2006-09-15

    Swedish environmental NGOs have no complete consensus on the issue of nuclear waste management. However, concerning the demands on the the EIA process most of the opinions coincide. The following standpoints generally reflect those represented by MKG as interpreted by the author Continuation of nuclear waste production, also in connection with uranium mining, is inconsistent with sustainable development. The problems of nuclear waste management must be dealt with now and not left to an undecided future. However, this does not automatically mean that any final solution needs be implemented within a short period of time. Irrespective of storage or disposal method nuclear waste is a possible source for nuclear weapons for a very long time and must therefore be subject to long-term safeguards. Any storage or disposal must be designed considering the risk of intention or unintentional intrusion. The management of nuclear waste is a national task. The thus be performed on a national scale, not as now in the municipal and to some extent regional scale. The choice of method should precede the choice of site. The choice of method should be made according to a systematic process and considering functional conditions set up in advance. Different alternatives should be evaluated and compared according to strict long-term environmental standards that comply with sustainable development. This demands extensive information on more than one possible method. The choice of site should also be made according to a systematic process considering functional conditions set up in advance. A clear and understandable sieving process at a national scale should be performed to find the best possible site considering environmental conditions. Changes have to be made so that an independent body supervises the EIA process instead of the nuclear industry. This increases the chance that the choice of method and site gain legitimacy and acceptance in the eyes of ordinary citizens.

  13. HORIZONTAL LIFTING OF 5 DHLW/DOE LONG, 12-PWR LONG AND 24-BWR WASTE PACKAGES

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    V. de la Brosse

    2001-01-01

    The objective of this calculation was to determine the structural response of a 12-Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) Long, a 24-Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) and a 5-Defense High Level Waste/Department of Energy (DHLW/DOE)--Long spent nuclear fuel waste packages lifted in a horizontal position. The scope of this calculation was limited to reporting the calculation results in terms of maximum stress intensities in the trunnion collar sleeves. In addition, the maximum stress intensities in the inner and outer shells of the waste packages were presented for illustrative purposes. The information provided by the sketches (Attachments I, II and III) is that of the potential design of the types of waste packages considered in this calculation, and all obtained results are valid for these designs only. This calculation is associated with the waste package design and was performed by the Waste Package Design Section in accordance with the ''Technical work plan for: Waste Package Design Description for LA'' (Ref. 7). AP-3.12Q, Calculations (Ref. 13), was used to perform the calculation and develop the document

  14. Storage - Nuclear wastes are overflowing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dupin, Ludovic

    2016-01-01

    This article highlights that the dismantling of French nuclear installations will generate huge volumes of radioactive wastes and that France may lack space to store them. The Cigeo project (underground storage) only concerns 0.2 per cent of the nuclear waste volume produced by France in 50 years. If storage solutions exist for less active wastes, they will soon be insufficient, notably because of the quantity of wastes produced by the dismantling of existing reactors and fuel processing plants. Different assessments of these volumes are evoked. In order to store them, the ANDRA made a second call for innovating projects which would enable a reduction of this volume by 20 to 30 per cent. The article also evokes projects selected after the first call for projects. They mainly focus on nuclear waste characterization which will result in a finer management of wastes regarding their storage destination. Cost issues and the opposition of anti-nuclear NGOs are still obstacles to the development of new sites

  15. Immobilisation of high level nuclear reactor wastes in SYNROC

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ringwood, A E; Kesson, S E; Ware, N G; Hibberson, W; Major, A [Australian National Univ., Canberra. Inst. of Advanced Studies

    1979-03-15

    It is stated that the elements occurring in high-level nuclear reactor wastes can be safely immobilised by incorporating them within the crystal lattices of the constituent minerals of a synthetic rock (SYNROC). The preferred form of SYNROC can accept up to 20% of high level waste calcine to form dilute solid solutions. The constituent minerals, or close structural analogues, have survived in a wide range of geochemical environments for periods of 20 to 2,000 Myr whilst immobilising the same elements present in nuclear wastes. SYNROC is unaffected by leaching for 24 hours in pure water or 10 wt % NaCl solution at high temperatures and pressure whereas borosilicate glasses completely decompose in a few hours in much less severe hydrothermal conditions. The combination of these leaching results with the geological evidence of long-term stability indicates that SYNROC would be vastly superior to glass in its capacity to safely immobilise nuclear wastes, when buried in a suitable geological repository. A dense, compact, mechanically strong form of SYNROC suitable for geological disposal can be produced by a process as economical as that which incorporates radioactive waste in borosilicate glasses.

  16. Development of nuclear transmutation technology for transuranic elements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mukaiyama, Takehiko

    1996-01-01

    Partitioning and Transmutation (P-T) of long-lived radioactive nuclides is conceived as the technology to improve the high-level radioactive waste management. This report discusses the incentives of P-T, generation of long-lived nuclides in fission reactors, nuclear transmutation technologies, R and D activities of the partitioning and transmutation technology development programs at JAERI and in the world. (author)

  17. Behavior of technetium in alkaline solution: Identification of non-pertechnetate species in high-level nuclear waste tanks at the Hanford reservation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lukens, Wayne W. Jr.; Shuh, David K.; Schroeder, Norman C.; Ashley, Kenneth R.

    2003-01-01

    Technetium is a long-lived (99Tc: 213,000 year half-life) fission product found in nuclear waste and is one of the important isotopes of environmental concern. The known chemistry of technetium suggests that it should be found as pertechnetate, TcO4-, in the extremely basic environment of the nuclear waste tanks at the Hanford site. However, other chemical forms of technetium are present in significant amounts in certain tanks, and these non-pertechnetate species complicate the treatment of the waste. The only spectroscopic characterization of these non-pertechnetate species is a series of X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectra of actual tank waste. To better understand the behavior of technetium under these conditions, we have investigated the reduction of pertechnetate in highly alkaline solution in the presence of compounds found in high-level waste. These results and the X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectra of these species are compared to the chemical behavior and XANES spectra of the actual non-pertechnetate species. The identity of the nonpertechnetate species is surprising

  18. Cement Waste Matrix Evaluation and Modelling of the Long Term Stability of Cementitious Waste Matrices

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Martensson, P.; Cronstrand, P.

    2013-01-01

    Cement based materials are often used as a solidification matrix for wet radioactive waste from nuclear power plants such as ion exchange resins, sludge and evaporator concentrates. The mechanical and chemical properties of the cement-waste matrix are affected by the type and the concentration of the waste. For this reason the recipe used in the solidification process has to be carefully adjusted to respond to the variations of the waste. At the Ringhals Nuclear Power Plant (RNPP) an evaporator was to be taken into operation during the mid 2005. As a result of this process an evaporator concentrate containing boric acid was expected. The aims of the present study were to develop a recipe for the solidification of artificial evaporator concentrates, (AEC), containing H 3 BO 3 and measure the compressive strength of the waste/cement matrix over a period of 4 years. The confirmation of the previously reported retarding properties of H 3 BO 3 and the studies of AEC without H 3 BO 3 were also included as a part of this work. Finally, thermodynamic calculations were used as a tool in order to predict the evolution of the mineralogy and integrity for the different cement-waste specimens over very long periods of time, i.e. up to about 100 000 years. The most important finding was that when an optimized waste/cement matrix recipe was used the compressive strength increased during the entire 4 year period and no signs of degradation were noticed. It was also found that the long-term performance of the waste matrices is to a large extent site-specific. In general, the composition of the infiltrating water is more influential than the waste matrices, both on the degradation of the waste matrices itself as well as on the engineered barriers. (author)

  19. Nuclear biomedical and hospital waste management at the University of Brussels (VUB): optimization in the Belgian context

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Eggermont, G.; Covens, P.

    2002-01-01

    Low level nuclear waste (LLW) from biomedical research laboratories and from hospitals has specific characteristics, requiring a different management than the LLW from nuclear energy. Biomedical waste generally does not contain emitters and essentially consists of short-lived β/γ-emitters and a range of pure β-emitters, which are difficult to measure. Except for 3 H and 1 4C , the radionuclides found in biomedical waste have half-lives less then 100 days and hence do not require nuclear disposal. Limited quantities of accelerator activation products (mainly 6 5Z n and 6 0C o) and compact sealed sources of 6 0C o, 1 37C s, 2 26R a and 1 92I r form the only exceptions. National nuclear waste agencies typically do not have a specific policy for treatment and disposal of this type of LLW. In 2001 new price increases were announced for specific categories of this waste. They were implemented by NIRAS/ONDRAF early 2002. The major universities and academic hospitals expressed concern. The Health Council has considered the problem and has recently recommended to the authorities a set of measures to prevent non authorised liberation of this waste. Moreover non-nuclear waste companies have noticed a considerable growing inventory of radioactivity in incoming waste transports before treatment. A variety of radionuclides and activities were found in a diversity of origins from municipal waste over medical waste to industrial waste. Dismantling of accelerators and their shielding could add considerable amounts of waste. Due to the escalating costs and the lack of acceptance of near-surface disposal facilities, the university of Brussels (VUB) and its hospital, have developed a successful on-site waste decay storage program in collaboration with Canberra Europe, which is discussed hereafter

  20. Science, Society, and America's Nuclear Waste: The Nuclear Waste Policy Act, Unit 3. Teacher Guide. Second Edition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Department of Energy, Washington, DC. Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management, Washington, DC.

    This guide is Unit 3 of the four-part series, Science, Society, and America's Nuclear Waste, produced by the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management. The goal of this unit is to identify the key elements of the United States' nuclear waste dilemma and introduce the Nuclear Waste Policy Act and the role of the…