Turning nuclear waste into glass

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pegg, Ian L.

2015-02-15

Vitrification has emerged as the treatment option of choice for the most dangerous radioactive waste. But dealing with the nuclear waste legacy of the Cold War will require state-of-the-art facilities and advanced glass formulations.

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

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

Development of integrated waste management options for irradiated graphite

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wareing, Alan; Abrahamsen-Mills, Liam; Fowler, Linda; Jarvis, Richard; Banford, Anthony William [National Nuclear Laboratory, Warrington (United Kingdom); Grave, Michael [Doosan Babcock, Gateshead (United Kingdom); Metcalfe, Martin [National Nuclear Laboratory, Gloucestershire (United Kingdom); Norris, Simon [Radioactive Waste Management Limited, Oxon (United Kingdom)

2017-08-15

The European Treatment and Disposal of Irradiated Graphite and other Carbonaceous Waste project sought to develop best practices in the retrieval, treatment, and disposal of irradiated graphite including other irradiated carbonaceous waste such as structural material made of graphite, nongraphitized carbon bricks, and fuel coatings. Emphasis was given on legacy irradiated graphite, as this represents a significant inventory in respective national waste management programs. This paper provides an overview of the characteristics of graphite irradiated during its use, primarily as a moderator material, within nuclear reactors. It describes the potential techniques applicable to the retrieval, treatment, recycling/reuse, and disposal of these graphite wastes. Considering the lifecycle of nuclear graphite, from manufacture to final disposal, a number of waste management options have been developed. These options consider the techniques and technologies required to address each stage of the lifecycle, such as segregation, treatment, recycle, and ultimate disposal in a radioactive waste repository, providing a toolbox to aid operators and regulators to determine the most appropriate management strategy. It is noted that national waste management programs currently have, or are in the process of developing, respective approaches to irradiated graphite management. The output of the Treatment and Disposal of Irradiated Graphite and other Carbonaceous Waste project is intended to aid these considerations, rather than dictate them.

Goals for nuclear waste management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Watson, R.A.

1978-01-01

Establishing a publicly, politically, economically, and technologically acceptable waste management system for the fuel cycle is a necessary condition for accepting the nuclear program as a national energy option. Findings are given on the technology, politics, economics, morality, aesthetics, and societal impact of waste management. Proposed goals are outlined for the regulation of waste management

Mixed waste management options

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Owens, C.B.; Kirner, N.P.

1992-01-01

Currently, limited storage and treatment capacity exists for commercial mixed waste streams. No commercial mixed waste disposal is available, and it has been estimated that if and when commercial mixed waste disposal becomes available, the costs will be high. If high disposal fees are imposed, generators may be willing to apply extraordinary treatment or regulatory approaches to properly dispose of their mixed waste. This paper explores the feasibility of several waste management scenarios and management options. Existing data on commercially generated mixed waste streams are used to identify the realm of mixed waste known to be generated. Each waste stream is evaluated from both a regulatory and technical perspective in order to convert the waste into a strictly low-level radioactive or a hazardous waste. Alternative regulatory approaches evaluated in this paper include a delisting petition) no migration petition) and a treatability variance. For each waste stream, potentially available treatment options are identified that could lead to these variances. Waste minimization methodology and storage for decay are also considered. Economic feasibility of each option is discussed broadly. Another option for mixed waste management that is being explored is the feasibility of Department of Energy (DOE) accepting commercial mixed waste for treatment, storage, and disposal. A study has been completed that analyzes DOE treatment capacity in comparison with commercial mixed waste streams. (author)

Nuclear waste disposal: Gambling on Yucca Mountain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ginsburg, S.

1995-01-01

This document describes the historical aspects of nuclear energy ,nuclear weapons usage, and development of the nuclear bureaucracy in the United States, and discusses the selection and siting of Yucca Mountain, Nevada for a federal nuclear waste repository. Litigation regarding the site selection and resulting battles in the political arena and in the Nevada State Legislature are also presented. Alternative radioactive waste disposal options, risk assessments of the Yucca Mountain site, and logistics regarding the transportation and storage of nuclear waste are also presented. This document also contains an extensive bibliography

A nuclear fuel cycle system dynamic model for spent fuel storage options

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brinton, Samuel; Kazimi, Mujid

2013-01-01

Highlights: • Used nuclear fuel management requires a dynamic system analysis study due to its socio-technical complexity. • Economic comparison of local, regional, and national storage options is limited due to the public financial information. • Local and regional options of used nuclear fuel management are found to be the most economic means of storage. - Abstract: The options for used nuclear fuel storage location and affected parameters such as economic liabilities are currently a focus of several high level studies. A variety of nuclear fuel cycle system analysis models are available for such a task. The application of nuclear fuel cycle system dynamics models for waste management options is important to life-cycle impact assessment. The recommendations of the Blue Ribbon Committee on America’s Nuclear Future led to increased focus on long periods of spent fuel storage [1]. This motivated further investigation of the location dependency of used nuclear fuel in the parameters of economics, environmental impact, and proliferation risk. Through a review of available literature and interactions with each of the programs available, comparisons of post-reactor fuel storage and handling options will be evaluated based on the aforementioned parameters and a consensus of preferred system metrics and boundary conditions will be provided. Specifically, three options of local, regional, and national storage were studied. The preliminary product of this research is the creation of a system dynamics tool known as the Waste Management Module (WMM) which provides an easy to use interface for education on fuel cycle waste management economic impacts. Initial results of baseline cases point to positive benefits of regional storage locations with local regional storage options continuing to offer the lowest cost

Development of integrated waste management options for irradiated graphite

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alan Wareing

2017-08-01

Full Text Available The European Treatment and Disposal of Irradiated Graphite and other Carbonaceous Waste project sought to develop best practices in the retrieval, treatment, and disposal of irradiated graphite including other irradiated carbonaceous waste such as structural material made of graphite, nongraphitized carbon bricks, and fuel coatings. Emphasis was given on legacy irradiated graphite, as this represents a significant inventory in respective national waste management programs. This paper provides an overview of the characteristics of graphite irradiated during its use, primarily as a moderator material, within nuclear reactors. It describes the potential techniques applicable to the retrieval, treatment, recycling/reuse, and disposal of these graphite wastes. Considering the lifecycle of nuclear graphite, from manufacture to final disposal, a number of waste management options have been developed. These options consider the techniques and technologies required to address each stage of the lifecycle, such as segregation, treatment, recycle, and ultimate disposal in a radioactive waste repository, providing a toolbox to aid operators and regulators to determine the most appropriate management strategy. It is noted that national waste management programs currently have, or are in the process of developing, respective approaches to irradiated graphite management. The output of the Treatment and Disposal of Irradiated Graphite and other Carbonaceous Waste project is intended to aid these considerations, rather than dictate them.

Nuclear technology options

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salvatores, Massimo

2013-01-01

Different strategies and motivations in different countries have led to diverse options. In Europe the SNETP (Sustainable Nuclear Energy Technology Platform) has the objective of developing R&D supporting GEN-II (present) and GEN-III nuclear systems under development; allowing sustainability and minimisation of waste burden, promoting advanced Gen-IV Fast Reactors; and accounting for a Nuclear Cogeneration Industrial Initiative. A remarkable initiative in the USA has been the promotion of small modular reactors (SMRs) – at less than 300 MWe in capacity, much smaller than typical reactors – which can be an ideal choice for (remote) areas which cannot support a larger reactor. Compact scalable design offers a host of potential safety, construction and economic benefits. More “upbeat” strategies are expected in other areas of the world where significant increase in nuclear energy demand is predicted in the next decades. If this growth materialises, future fuel cycles characteristics, feasibility and acceptability will be crucial. This paper will discuss different scenarios for future fuel cycles, resources optimisation and/or waste minimization, the range from full fast reactor deployment to phase-out, management of spent nuclear fuel and the significant potential benefits of advanced cycles. The next 45 years will be dominated by deployment of standard large or medium size plants operating for 60 years. Available resources do allow it. However, fuel cycle will be a growing and most challenging issue and early assessments will be needed for public acceptance and policy decisions.

A Quantitative Analysis of the Reversibility of Nuclear Waste Storage: Waste Re-utilization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gollier, Christian; Devezeaux de Lavergne, Jean-Guy

2001-01-01

The reversibility of nuclear waste storage can be justified on various economic grounds, including the eventuality that future generations may wish to recover this waste in order to re-utilise it. Real options theory is used to cost this option. By including the value of this option in the cost/benefit analysis, it is possible to determine what present generations should spend to organise this reversibility. Taking current values of the materials contained in the waste, and taking into account the low growth trend of such values, we show that the reversibility value of a waste storage site is derisory

Disposal Options for Low and Intermediate-Level Radioactive Waste: Comparative Study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abdellatif, M.M.

2013-01-01

This study presents the status of current disposal options for Low and Intermediate- Level Radioactive Waste (LILRW) generated in different countries and outlines the potential for future disposal option/s of these wastes in Egypt. Since approaches used in other countries may provide useful lessons for managing Egyptian radioactive wastes. This study was based on data for19 countries repositories and we focused on 6 countries, which considered as leaders in the field of disposal of rad waste. Several countries have plans for repositories which are sufficiently advanced that it was based on their own of their extensive experience with nuclear power generation and with constructing and operating LLRW disposal facilities. On the other hand, our programme for site selection and host rock characterization for low and intermediate level radioactive waste disposal is under study. We are preparing our criteria for selecting a national repository for LIL rad waste.

MHR fuel cycle options for future sustainability of nuclear power

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baxter, Alan; Venneri, Francesco; Rodriguez, Carmelo; Fikani, Michael

2005-01-01

The future sustainability of the nuclear option is not significantly tied to the level of resources. For example, current high quality uranium reserves (∼3.34x10 6 tons) are enough for more than 55 years at present consumption rates (IAEA estimate). Doubling of the present uranium ore price (∼$26/kg) could create about a tenfold increase in resources, providing more than 550 years of supply at present rates (World Nuclear Association estimate). There are also thorium reserves which are estimated to be about three times those of uranium, and would allow for a significant increase in annual consumption levels. The key to a sustainable nuclear future is really tied to the political and technical problems of long term waste disposal, and the perceived risks of nuclear weapons proliferation. Thus fuel cycle options for a sustainable nuclear future must address and solve these issues. High temperature, Gas-Cooled, Graphite Moderated, reactors (MHRs) have nuclear and operational characteristics to provide multiple fuel cycle options to solve these issues. Three fuel cycles for the MHD are described in this paper, and their capabilities for meeting a sustainable nuclear future in terms of nuclear waste minimization and destruction, and reduction of proliferation risk, are discussed. (author)

Selection of efficient options for processing and storage of radioactive waste in countries with small amounts of waste generation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2003-09-01

The report is intended to assist decision makers in countries using nuclear energy for non-power applications to organize their waste management practices. It describes methodologies, criteria and options for the selection of appropriate technologies for processing and storage of low and intermediate level radioactive waste from different nuclear applications. The report reviews both technical and non-technical factors important for decision making and planning, and for implementation of waste management activities at the country and facility levels. It makes practical recommendations for the selection of particular technologies for different scales of waste generation. These wastes may arise from production of radionuclides and their application in industry, agriculture, medicine, education and research. The report also considers waste generated at research reactors, research centers and research laboratories using radioisotopes, as well as waste from decommissioning of research reactors and small nuclear facilities such as hot cells, laboratories and irradiation facilities. Management of uranium mining and milling waste and management of spent fuel from research reactors are not considered in this report. Discussed in detail are: the basic legal, regulatory, administrative and technical requirements set up in a national waste management system and review of the factors and components affecting the selection of an appropriate national waste management system. the origins and characteristics of radioactive waste from different nuclear applications. the technical factors that might affect the selection of waste processing and storage technologies, the main waste management steps, information on available technologies, the basis for planning of waste processing and storage and the selection of a particular option for radioactive waste processing and storage in countries with a different scale of nuclear applications

Selection of efficient options for processing and storage of radioactive waste in countries with small amounts of waste generation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2003-09-01

The report is intended to assist decision makers in countries using nuclear energy for non-power applications to organize their waste management practices. It describes methodologies, criteria and options for the selection of appropriate technologies for processing and storage of low and intermediate level radioactive waste from different nuclear applications. The report reviews both technical and non-technical factors important for decision making and planning, and for implementation of waste management activities at the country and facility levels. It makes practical recommendations for the selection of particular technologies for different scales of waste generation. These wastes may arise from production of radionuclides and their application in industry, agriculture, medicine, education and research. The report also considers waste generated at research reactors, research centers and research laboratories using radioisotopes, as well as waste from decommissioning of research reactors and small nuclear facilities such as hot cells, laboratories and irradiation facilities. Management of uranium mining and milling waste and management of spent fuel from research reactors are not considered in this report. Discussed in detail are: the basic legal, regulatory, administrative and technical requirements set up in a national waste management system and review of the factors and components affecting the selection of an appropriate national waste management system. the origins and characteristics of radioactive waste from different nuclear applications. the technical factors that might affect the selection of waste processing and storage technologies, the main waste management steps, information on available technologies, the basis for planning of waste processing and storage and the selection of a particular option for radioactive waste processing and storage in countries with a different scale of nuclear applications.

Nuclear fuel waste disposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Allan, C.J.

1993-01-01

The Canadian concept for nuclear fuel waste disposal is based on disposing of the waste in a vault excavated 500-1000 m deep in intrusive igneous rock of the Canadian Shield. The author believes that, if the concept is accepted following review by a federal environmental assessment panel (probably in 1995), then it is important that implementation should begin without delay. His reasons are listed under the following headings: Environmental leadership and reducing the burden on future generations; Fostering public confidence in nuclear energy; Forestalling inaction by default; Preserving the knowledge base. Although disposal of reprocessing waste is a possible future alternative option, it will still almost certainly include a requirement for geologic disposal

Management options for food production systems affected by a nuclear accident. Task 6: landspreading as a waste disposal option for contaminated milk

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marchant, J.K.; Nisbet, A.F.

2002-01-01

In the event of a nuclear accident, there may be significant quantities of agricultural produce that are contaminated with radionuclides and require disposal. The disposal of milk would be of particular concern, since the quantities of milk classed as waste could be substantial and extensive environmental damage could be caused if this was not disposed of appropriately. As part of contingency planning for potential nuclear accidents, the identification of practicable options for disposal of contaminated milk is therefore important. One of the potential options is disposal by landspreading. This report sets out the current legal position of the landspreading of contaminated milk on farmland, provides information on the current extent of landspreading by farmers and assesses the practicability of landspreading contaminated milk according to the following criteria: technical feasibility, capacity, cost, environmental impact, radiological impact and acceptability. Milk contaminated with radionuclides could be defined as a radioactive waste or an agricultural waste. If it were defined as a radioactive waste it would require disposal under the Radioactive Substances Act 1993. Decisions concerning the definition of contaminated milk area matter for the relevant government departments. In this report it was assumed that the milk would be defined as an agricultural waste. The Code of Good Agricultural Practice for the Protection of Water provides farmers with practical guidance for avoiding water pollution and the Code of Good Agricultural Practice for the Protection of Air provides them with practical guidance for avoiding air pollution. Farmers should follow both of these codes when landspreading milk. According to the Animal By-products Order, 1999 milk contaminated with radionuclides above the levels specified by the European Council at which marketing would be prohibited would constitute high risk material; landspreading would not then be permitted. This, however

Wastes options

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maes, M.

1992-01-01

After a description of the EEC environmental policy, some wastes families are described: bio-contaminant wastes (municipal and industrial), hospitals wastes, toxic wastes in dispersed quantities, nuclear wastes (radioactive and thermal), plastics compounds wastes, volatiles organic compounds, hydrocarbons and used solvents. Sources, quantities and treatments are given. (A.B.). refs., figs., tabs

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

Thermal oxidation of nuclear graphite: A large scale waste treatment option

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Abbie N.; Marsden, Barry J.

2017-01-01

This study has investigated the laboratory scale thermal oxidation of nuclear graphite, as a proof-of-concept for the treatment and decommissioning of reactor cores on a larger industrial scale. If showed to be effective, this technology could have promising international significance with a considerable impact on the nuclear waste management problem currently facing many countries worldwide. The use of thermal treatment of such graphite waste is seen as advantageous since it will decouple the need for an operational Geological Disposal Facility (GDF). Particulate samples of Magnox Reactor Pile Grade-A (PGA) graphite, were oxidised in both air and 60% O2, over the temperature range 400–1200°C. Oxidation rates were found to increase with temperature, with a particular rise between 700–800°C, suggesting a change in oxidation mechanism. A second increase in oxidation rate was observed between 1000–1200°C and was found to correspond to a large increase in the CO/CO2 ratio, as confirmed through gas analysis. Increasing the oxidant flow rate gave a linear increase in oxidation rate, up to a certain point, and maximum rates of 23.3 and 69.6 mg / min for air and 60% O2 respectively were achieved at a flow of 250 ml / min and temperature of 1000°C. These promising results show that large-scale thermal treatment could be a potential option for the decommissioning of graphite cores, although the design of the plant would need careful consideration in order to achieve optimum efficiency and throughput. PMID:28793326

Thermal oxidation of nuclear graphite: A large scale waste treatment option.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alex Theodosiou

Full Text Available This study has investigated the laboratory scale thermal oxidation of nuclear graphite, as a proof-of-concept for the treatment and decommissioning of reactor cores on a larger industrial scale. If showed to be effective, this technology could have promising international significance with a considerable impact on the nuclear waste management problem currently facing many countries worldwide. The use of thermal treatment of such graphite waste is seen as advantageous since it will decouple the need for an operational Geological Disposal Facility (GDF. Particulate samples of Magnox Reactor Pile Grade-A (PGA graphite, were oxidised in both air and 60% O2, over the temperature range 400-1200°C. Oxidation rates were found to increase with temperature, with a particular rise between 700-800°C, suggesting a change in oxidation mechanism. A second increase in oxidation rate was observed between 1000-1200°C and was found to correspond to a large increase in the CO/CO2 ratio, as confirmed through gas analysis. Increasing the oxidant flow rate gave a linear increase in oxidation rate, up to a certain point, and maximum rates of 23.3 and 69.6 mg / min for air and 60% O2 respectively were achieved at a flow of 250 ml / min and temperature of 1000°C. These promising results show that large-scale thermal treatment could be a potential option for the decommissioning of graphite cores, although the design of the plant would need careful consideration in order to achieve optimum efficiency and throughput.

Nuclear waste: The problem that won't go away

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lenssen, N.

1991-01-01

This book presents an overview of the problems of permanent and safe disposal of nuclear waste. The introduction has a brief history of the politics of nuclear waste. Major sections of the book include the following: permanent hazards of nuclear waste, including examples and the politics; health and radiation (history of recommended dosages, health risks, and problems of environmental transport are included); They call it disposal talks about technical options for dealing with nuclear waste, the actual number of sites in different countries, and the inadequacies of scientific knowledge in this area; Technical Fixes? Includes a discussion of other suggested ways of handling nuclear waste; The politics of nuclear waste and beyond illusion conclude the book. 105 refs., 5 tabs

Impact of Nuclear Energy Futures on Advanced Fuel Cycle Options

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dixon, B.W.; Piet, S.J.

2004-01-01

The Nuclear Waste Policy Act requires the Secretary of Energy to inform Congress before 2010 on the need for a second geologic repository for spent nuclear fuel. By that time, the spent fuel discharged from current commercial reactors will exceed the statutory limit of the first repository. There are several approaches to eliminate the need for another repository in this century. This paper presents a high-level analysis of these spent fuel management options in the context of a full range of possible nuclear energy futures. The analysis indicates the best option to implement varies depending on the nuclear energy future selected

Tergiversating the price of nuclear waste storage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mills, R.L.

1984-01-01

Tergiversation, the evasion of straightforward action of clearcut statement of position, was a characteristic of high-level nuclear waste disposal until the US Congress passed the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982. How the price of waste storage is administered will affect the design requirements of monitored retrievable storage (MRS) facilities as well as repositories. Those decisions, in part, are internal to the Department of Energy. From the utility's viewpoint, the options are few but clearer. Reprocessing, as performed in Europe, is not a perfect substitute for MRS. The European reprocess-repository sequence will not yield the same nuclear resource base as the American MRS-repository scheme. For the future price of the energy resource represented by nuclear waste, the author notes that tergiversation continues. 3 references

Options for Management of Spent Fuel and Radioactive Waste for Countries Developing New Nuclear Power Programmes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2013-01-01

start a nuclear power programme. The IAEA has published guidance on particular elements of radioactive waste and spent fuel management, such as establishing nuclear technical and regulatory infrastructure, relevant financing schemes, national policy and strategies, multinational approaches and other aspects linked to building nuclear power plants. The present publication is intended to provide a concise summary of key issues related to the development of a sound radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel management system. It is designed to brief countries with small or newly established nuclear power programmes about the challenges of, and to describe current and potential alternatives for, managing spent fuel and radioactive waste arising during operation and decommissioning of nuclear power plants. The publication deals primarily with current technical options, but also considers possible future developments and discusses relevant legal, political, technical and safety issues. It identifies the role of, and potential actions to be adopted by, the international community, including the IAEA, in order to support the responsible introduction of nuclear power in interested countries

Nuclear waste management and implication for geological disposals in South Korea

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Woo, Tae Ho; Chang, Kyung Bae [The Cyber Univ. of Korea, Seoul (Korea, Republic of). Dept. of Mechanical and Control Engineering

2017-10-15

The master plan of permanent nuclear waste repository had been published in South Korea. The high-level nuclear waste repository should be available in 2053. In this study, six possible nuclear waste forms are simulated by Helium ions. The geological repository is comparative easy and cheap considering the international nuclear act of the nuclear nonproliferation treaty (NPT). How ever, there could be some new technologies of the nuclear waste treatment like the pyroprocessing. Transmutation is another option, which is very expensive with current technology.

Radioactive waste management turning options into solution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Neubauer, J.

2000-10-01

Most of the statements from representatives of different countries and institutions focused on the status of high level radioactive waste management, including spent fuel repositories. Speakers dealing with such topics were representatives from countries applying nuclear power for electricity production. They all reported about there national programs on technical and safety aspects of radioactive waste management. The panel discussion extended to questions on political sensitivities and public acceptance; in this respect, interesting developments are taking place in Finland and Sweden. It is expected that Finland will operate a final repository for spent fuel in 10 - 15 years from now, followed close by Sweden. Other countries, however, face decisions by policy makers and elected officials to postpone dealing with waste disposal concerns. In this connection there is relevant experience in our country, too - even in the absence of spent fuel or other high level waste to be dealt with. During personal discussions with representatives of other countries not using nuclear power it was confirmed that there are similar or shared experiences. Development of publicly -accepted solutions to radioactive waste management remains an important issue. Independent of the amount or the activity of radioactive waste, the public at large remains skeptical despite the agreement among experts that disposal can be safe, technically feasible and environmentally sound. In countries not using nuclear power there are only small quantities of low and intermediate level radioactive waste. Therefore, international co-operation among such countries should be an option. There was common understanding by representatives from Norway, Italy and Austria that international co-operation should be developed for treatment and disposal of such waste. For the moment however it has to be accepted that, for political reasons, it is not possible. Forced to deal with the lack of near-term solutions, the

Alternative disposal options for transuranic waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Loomis, G.G.

1994-01-01

Three alternative concepts are proposed for the final disposal of stored and retrieved buried transuranic waste. These proposed options answer criticisms of the existing U.S. Department of Energy strategy of directly disposing of stored transuranic waste in deep, geological salt formations at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in Carlsbad, New Mexico. The first option involves enhanced stabilization of stored waste by thermal treatment followed by convoy transportation and internment in the existing WIPP facility. This concept could also be extended to retrieved buried waste with proper permitting. The second option involves in-state, in situ internment using an encapsulating lens around the waste. This concept applies only to previously buried transuranic waste. The third option involves sending stored and retrieved waste to the Nevada Test Site and configuring the waste around a thermonuclear device from the U.S. or Russian arsenal in a specially designed underground chamber. The thermonuclear explosion would transmute plutonium and disassociate hazardous materials while entombing the waste in a national sacrifice area

Levelized cost-risk reduction prioritization of waste disposal options

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wilkinson, V.K.; Young, J.M.

1992-01-01

The prioritization of solid waste disposal options in terms of reduced risk to workers, the public, and the environment has recently generated considerable governmental and public interest. In this paper we address the development of a methodology to establish priorities for waste disposal options, such as incineration, landfills, long-term storage, waste minimization, etc. The study is one result of an overall project to develop methodologies for Probabilistic Risk Assessments (PRAs) of non-reactor nuclear facilities for the US Department of Energy. Option preferences are based on a levelized cost-risk reduction analysis. Option rankings are developed as functions of disposal option cost and timing, relative long- and short-term risks, and possible accident scenarios. We examine the annual costs and risks for each option over a large number of years. Risk, in this paper, is defined in terms of annual fatalities (both prompt and long-term) and environmental restoration costs that might result from either an accidental release or long-term exposure to both plant workers and the public near the site or facility. We use event timing to weigh both costs and risks; near-term costs and risks are discounted less than future expenditures and fatalities. This technique levels the timing of cash flows and benefits by converting future costs and benefits to present value costs and benefits. We give an example Levelized Cost-Benefit Analysis of incinerator location options to demonstrate the methodology and required data

Self-disposal option for heat-generating waste - 59182

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ojovan, Michael I.; Poluektov, Pavel P.; Kascheev, Vladimir A.

2012-01-01

Self-descending heat generating capsules can be used for disposal of dangerous radioactive wastes in extremely deep layers of the Earth preventing any release of radionuclides into the biosphere. Self-disposal option for heat-generating radioactive waste such as spent fuel, high level reprocessing waste or spent sealed radioactive sources, known also as rock melting concept, was considered in the 70's as a viable alternative disposal option by both Department of Energy in the USA and Atomic Industry Ministry in the USSR. Self-disposal is currently reconsidered as a potential alternative route to existing options for solving the nuclear waste problem and is associated with the renaissance of nuclear industry. Self- disposal option utilises the heat generated by decaying radionuclides of radioactive waste inside a heavy and durable capsule to melt the rock on its way down. As the heat from radionuclides within the capsule partly melts the enclosing rock, the relatively low viscosity and density of the silicate melt allow the capsule to be displaced upwards past the heavier capsule as it sinks. Eventually the melt cools and solidifies (e.g. vitrifies or crystallizes), sealing the route along which the capsule passed. Descending or self-disposal continues until enough heat is generated by radionuclides to provide partial melting of surrounding rock. Estimates show that extreme depths of several tens and up to hundred km can be reached by capsules which could never be achieved by other techniques. Self- disposal does not require complex and expensive disposal facilities and provides a minimal footprint used only at operational stage. It has also an extremely high non- proliferation character and degree of safety. Utilisation of heat generated by relatively short-lived radionuclides diminishes the environmental uncertainties of self-disposal and increases the safety of this concept. Self-sinking heat-generating capsules could be launched from the bottom of the sea as

Case histories of EA documents for nuclear waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vocke, R.W.

1985-01-01

Nuclear power programs and policies in the United States have been subject to environmental assessment under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) since 1971. NEPA documentation prepared for programmatic policy decision-making within the nuclear fuel cycle and concurrent federal policy are examined as they relate to radioactive waste management in this paper. Key programmatic environmental impact statements that address radioactive waste management include: the Atomic Energy Commission document on management of commercial high-level and transuranium-contaminated radioactive waste, which focussed on development of engineered retrievable surface storage facilities (RSSF); the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) document on use of recycled plutonium in mixed oxide fuel in light water cooled reactors, which focussed on plutonium recycle and RSSF; the NRC statement on handling of spent light water power reactor fuel, which focussed on spent fuel storage; and the Department of Energy (DOE) statement on management of commercially generated radioactive wastes, which focussed on development of deep geologic repositories. DOE is currently pursuing the deep geologic repository option, with monitored retrievable storage as a secondary option

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

Advanced nuclear fuel cycles and radioactive waste management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2006-01-01

This study analyses a range of advanced nuclear fuel cycle options from the perspective of their effect on radioactive waste management policies. It presents various fuel cycle options which illustrate differences between alternative technologies, but does not purport to cover all foreseeable future fuel cycles. The analysis extends the work carried out in previous studies, assesses the fuel cycles as a whole, including all radioactive waste generated at each step of the cycles, and covers high-level waste repository performance for the different fuel cycles considered. The estimates of quantities and types of waste arising from advanced fuel cycles are based on best available data and experts' judgement. The effects of various advanced fuel cycles on the management of radioactive waste are assessed relative to current technologies and options, using tools such as repository performance analysis and cost studies. (author)

The international politics of nuclear waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blowers, A.; Lowry, D.; Solomon, B.D.

1993-01-01

This book depicts the wide diversity and the striking similarities in the international politics of nuclear waste management, using good organization and well defined terminology. The authors provide a background of geography, geology and demographics, and provide informed and common-sensical observations and conclusions. They question the ethics of leaving nuclear wastes where they are and waiting for better solutions, and they put forward a rational set of siting options, including coupling repository plans with environmental enhancement programs such as protection of coastal access, landscape improvements, and erosion control

Partitioning and transmutation: Radioactive waste management option

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stanculescu, A.

2005-01-01

Growing world population with increasing energy needs, especially in the developing countries, Threat of global warming due to CO 2 emissions demands non-fossil electricity production. Nuclear will have to be part of a sustainable mix of energy production options Figures show that 350 GWe worldwide capacity is 'nuclear'. Present worldwide spent fuel (containing high Pu inventory) and HLW would need large repositories. In view of the previous facts this lecture deals Partitioning and transmutation as radioactive waste management option. Partitioning and transmutation (P and T) is a complex technology i.e. advanced reprocessing, and demand transuranics fuel fabrication plants, as well as innovative and/or dedicated transmutation reactors. In addition to U, Pu, and 129 I, 'partitioning' extracts from the liquid high level waste the minor actinides (MA) and the long-lived fission products (LLFP) 99-Tc, 93-Zr, 135-Cs, 107-Pd, and 79-Se). 'Transmutation' requires fully new fuel fabrication plants and reactor technologies to be developed and implemented on industrial scale. Present LWRs are not suited for MA and LLFP transmutation (safety consideration, plant operation, poor incineration capability). Only specially licensed LWRs can cope with MOX fuel; for increased Pu loadings (up to 100%), special reactor designs (e.g., ABB80+) are required; a combination of these reactor types could allow Pu inventory stabilization. Long-term waste radiotoxicity can be effectively reduced only if transuranics are 'incinerated' through fission with very hard neutron spectra. New reactor concepts (dedicated fast reactors, Accelerator Driven Systems (ADS), fusion/fission hybrid reactors) have been proposed as transmuters/incinerators. Significant Pu+MAs incineration rates can be achieved in symbiotic scenarios: LWR-MOX and dedicated fast reactors; fast neutron spectrum ADS mainly for MA incineration; very high thermal flux ADS concepts could also provide a significant transuranics

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

Nuclear waste information made accessible: A case study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Willis, Y.A.; Morris, W.R.

1987-01-01

The Nuclear Industry has made great technical strides toward the safe and efficient management of nuclear waste but public acceptance and cooperation lag far behind. The challenge is to better inform the public of the technical options available to safely manage the various types of nuclear wastes. Westinghouse responded to this challenge by creating the Nuclear Waste Management Outreach Program with the goal to make nuclear waste information accessible as well as available. The Outreach Program is an objective informational seminar series comprises of modules which may be adopted to various audiences. The seminars deal with radioactive wastes and the legislative and regulatory framework within which the Industry must function. The Outreach Program provides a forum to present relevant information, encourage an interchange of ideas and experiences, elicit feedback, and it provides for field site visits where feasible and appropriate. The program has been well received by the participants including technologists, government officials, educators, and the general public

Options for the disposal of high-level radioactive waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mitchell, N.T.; Laughton, A.S.; Webb, G.A.M.

1977-01-01

The management of radioactive waste within the fuel cycle, especially the high-level wastes from reprocessing of nuclear fuel, is currently a matter of particular concern. In the short term (meaning a timescale of tens of years) management by engineered storage is considered to provide a satisfactory solution. Beyond this, however, the two main alternative options which are considered in the paper are: (a) disposal by burial into geologic formations on land; and (b) disposal by emplacement into or onto the seabed. Status of our present knowledge on the land and seabed disposal options is reviewed together with an assessment of the extent to which their reliability and safety can be judged on presently available information. Further information is needed on the environmental behaviour of radioactivity in the form of solidified waste in both situations in order to provide a more complete, scientific assessment. Work done so far has clarified the areas where further research is most needed - for instance modelling of the environmental transfer processes associated with the seabed option. This is discussed together with an indication of the research programmes which are now being pursued

Crystallization behavior of nuclear waste forms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rusin, J.M.; Lokken, R.O.; May, R.P.; Wald, J.W.

1981-09-01

Several waste form options have been or are being developed for the immobilization of high-level wastes. The final selection of a waste form must take into consideration both waste form product as well as process factors. Crystallization behavior has an important role in nuclear waste form technology. For glass or vitreous waste forms, crystallization is generally controlled to a minimum by appropriate glass formulation and heat treatment schedules. With glass ceramic waste forms, crystallization is essential to convert glass products to highly crystalline waste forms with a minimum residual glass content. In the case of ceramic waste forms, additives and controlled sintering schedules are used to contain the radionuclides in specific tailored crystalline phases

Partitioning-transmutation technology: a potential future nuclear waste management option

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakayama, S.; Morita, Y.; Nishihara, K.; Oigawa, H.

2005-01-01

Partitioning-transmutation technology (PT) will produce radioactive wastes of different physical and chemical properties and in different amounts from those generated in the current nuclear fuel cycle. To assess quantitatively the effects of PT on waste disposal, we first analyzed the amounts of the PT wastes, assumed conditioning for each type of the waste, and then made an attempt to estimate the repository area for disposal of the PT wastes. The properties of the hot Sr-Cs waste form are controlling factors in determining the size of the geologic repository. The disposal area could be reduced if the Sr-Cs fraction is disposed in a different subsurface repository or by long-term storage of the waste under institutional control. Disposal in a subsurface repository was found to comply with the Japanese law in terms of radioactivity constraint, through a performance assessment for disposal of the Sr-Cs fraction. (authors)

Management options for food production systems affected by a nuclear accident. Task 5: disposal of waste milk to sea

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wilkins, B.; Woodman, R.; Nisbet, A.; Mansfield, P.

2001-11-01

In emergency exercises, discharge to sea is often put forward as a disposal option for waste milk, the intention being to use the outfalls for coolant water or liquid effluent at nuclear installations. However, so far the legislative constraints and the practical and scientific limitations of this option have not been fully considered. This report sets out the current legal position and evaluates the practicability of transporting milk from an affected farm to a suitable coastal facility for disposal. The effect of discharging milk into coastal water bodies has also been considered, bearing in mind that after a serious accident disposals could continue for several weeks

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

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

On-site waste storage assuring the success of on-site, low-level nuclear waste storage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Preston, E.L.

1986-01-01

Waste management has reached paramount importance in recent years. The successful management of radioactive waste is a key ingredient in the successful operation of any nuclear facility. This paper discusses the options available for on-site storage of low-level radioactive waste and those options that have been selected by the Department of Energy facilities operated by Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc. in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The focus of the paper is on quality assurance (QA) features of waste management activities such as accountability and retrievability of waste materials and waste packages, retrievability of data, waste containment, safety and environmental monitoring. Technical performance and careful documentation of that performance are goals which can be achieved only through the cooperation of numerous individuals from waste generating and waste managing organizations, engineering, QA, and environmental management

Waste from decommissioning of nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nielsen, P.O.

1992-05-01

This report is based on the assumption that all twelve nuclear power plants will be shut down no later than A.D. 2010, as was decided by the parliament after the referendum on the future of nuclear power in Sweden. The recent 'Party agreement on the energy policy' of January 15, 1991 does, indeed, leave the door open for an extension of the operational period for the nuclear reactors. This will, however, not change the recommendations and conclusions drawn in this report. The report consists of two parts. Part 1 discusses classification of waste from decommissioning and makes comparisons with the waste arising from reactor operation. Part 2 discusses the documentation required for decommissioning waste. Also this part of the report draws parallels with the documentation required by the authorities for the radioactive waste arising from operation of the nuclear power plants. To some extent these subjects depend on the future use of the nuclear power plant sites after decommissioning of the plants. The options for future site use are briefly discussed in an appendix to the report. There are many similarities between the waste from reactor operations and the waste arising from dismantling and removal of decommissioned nuclear power plants. Hence it seems natural to apply the same criteria and recommendations to decommissioning waste as those presently applicable to reactor waste. This is certainly true also with respect to documentation, and it is strongly recommended that the documentation requirements on decommissioning waste are made identical, or at least similar, to the documentation requirements for reactor waste in force today. (au)

Sustainability Features of Nuclear Fuel Cycle Options

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stefano Passerini

2012-09-01

Full Text Available The nuclear fuel cycle is the series of stages that nuclear fuel materials go through in a cradle to grave framework. The Once Through Cycle (OTC is the current fuel cycle implemented in the United States; in which an appropriate form of the fuel is irradiated through a nuclear reactor only once before it is disposed of as waste. The discharged fuel contains materials that can be suitable for use as fuel. Thus, different types of fuel recycling technologies may be introduced in order to more fully utilize the energy potential of the fuel, or reduce the environmental impacts and proliferation concerns about the discarded fuel materials. Nuclear fuel cycle systems analysis is applied in this paper to attain a better understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of fuel cycle alternatives. Through the use of the nuclear fuel cycle analysis code CAFCA (Code for Advanced Fuel Cycle Analysis, the impact of a number of recycling technologies and the associated fuel cycle options is explored in the context of the U.S. energy scenario over 100 years. Particular focus is given to the quantification of Uranium utilization, the amount of Transuranic Material (TRU generated and the economics of the different options compared to the base-line case, the OTC option. It is concluded that LWRs and the OTC are likely to dominate the nuclear energy supply system for the period considered due to limitations on availability of TRU to initiate recycling technologies. While the introduction of U-235 initiated fast reactors can accelerate their penetration of the nuclear energy system, their higher capital cost may lead to continued preference for the LWR-OTC cycle.

OPTION WEALTH AND BEQUEST VALUES: THE VALUE OF PROTECTING FUTURE GENERATIONS FROM THE HEALTH RISKS OF NUCLEAR WASTE STORAGE

OpenAIRE

Riddel, Mary C.; Shaw, W. Douglass

2002-01-01

We devise a simple model of intergenerational altruism under uncertainty. We present an estimable form of the model that relies on a few, plausible, assumptions. We apply the model to data collected in a survey of Southern Nevadans concerning the proposed Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste Repository in Nye County, NV. We find strong evidence of a bequest motive. Approximately one third of the option wealth lost by households near the repository can be attributed to costs to future generations.

Waste disposal[1997 Scientific Report of the Belgian Nuclear Research Centre

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Neerdael, B.; Marivoet, J.; Put, M.; Verstricht, J.; Van Iseghem, P.; Buyens, M.

1998-07-01

The primary mission of the Waste Disposal programme at the Belgian Nuclear Research Centre SCK/CEN is to propose, develop, and assess solutions for the safe disposal of radioactive waste. In Belgium, deep geological burial in clay is the primary option for the disposal of High-Level Waste and spent nuclear fuel. The main achievements during 1997 in the following domains are described: performance assessment, characterization of the geosphere, characterization of the waste, migration processes, underground infrastructure.

Effluent treatment options for nuclear thermal propulsion system ground tests

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shipers, L.R.; Brockmann, J.E.

1992-01-01

A variety of approaches for handling effluent from nuclear thermal propulsion system ground tests in an environmentally acceptable manner are discussed. The functional requirements of effluent treatment are defined and concept options are presented within the framework of these requirements. System concepts differ primarily in the choice of fission-product retention and waste handling concepts. The concept options considered range from closed cycle (venting the exhaust to a closed volume or recirculating the hydrogen in a closed loop) to open cycle (real time processing and venting of the effluent). This paper reviews the strengths and weaknesses of different methods to handle effluent from nuclear thermal propulsion system ground tests

Analysis of some nuclear waste management options. Volume II. Appendices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berman, L.E.; Ensminger, D.A.; Giuffre, M.S.; Koplik, C.M.; Oston, S.G.; Pollak, G.D.; Ross, B.I.

1978-01-01

This report describes risk analyses performed on that portion of a nuclear fuel cycle which begins following solidification of high-level waste. Risks associated with handling, interim storage and transportation of the waste are assessed, as well as the long term implications of disposal in deep mined cavities. The risk is expressed in terms of expected dose to the general population and peak dose to individuals in the population. This volume consists of appendices which provide technical details of the work performed

Analysis of some nuclear waste management options. Volume II. Appendices

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Berman, L.E.; Ensminger, D.A.; Giuffre, M.S.; Koplik, C.M.; Oston, S.G.; Pollak, G.D.; Ross, B.I.

1978-10-10

This report describes risk analyses performed on that portion of a nuclear fuel cycle which begins following solidification of high-level waste. Risks associated with handling, interim storage and transportation of the waste are assessed, as well as the long term implications of disposal in deep mined cavities. The risk is expressed in terms of expected dose to the general population and peak dose to individuals in the population. This volume consists of appendices which provide technical details of the work performed.

Management options for food production systems affected by a nuclear accident. Task 2 options for minimising the production of contaminated milk

CERN Document Server

Smith, J G; Mercer, J A; Nisbet, A F; Wilkins, B T

2002-01-01

This report describes an evaluation of three possible means by which the production of waste milk could be reduced following a nuclear accident. The three options studied are the reduction of contaminated pasture in the diet, the drying off of lactating dairy cattle and the slaughter of dairy cattle. The practicability of each of these is considered using criteria such as technical feasibility, capacity, cost, impact and acceptability, where appropriate. In theory reductions in waste milk arisings can be achieved with each option, however, there are a number of limitations associated with their practical application.

A utility's perspective on the Nuclear Waste Policy Act

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berry, W.W.

1985-01-01

The Nuclear Waste Policy Act is especially important to utilities because their customers pay for the disposal program, and the program is vital to nuclear operations and reconsideration of the nuclear option. DOE's accomplishments in implementing the Act are noteworthy, but we are concerned that some of them have been achieved later than specified by the schedule in the Act. We make recommendations regarding disposal fees, defense wastes, and shipping casks. Virginia Power has adopted a three-part strategy relying mainly on developing dry cask storage to solve the company's interim storage problems

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

Radiation and environmental safety of spent nuclear fuel management options based on direct disposal or reprocessing and disposal of high-level radioactive waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vuori, S.

1996-05-01

The report considers the various stages of two nuclear fuel cycle options: direct disposal and reprocessing followed by disposal of vitrified high-level waste. The comparative review is based on the results of previous international studies and concentrates on the radiation and environmental safety aspects of technical solutions based on today's technology. (23 refs., 7 figs., 4 tabs.)

National Option of China's Nuclear Energy Systems for Spent Fuel Management

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gao, R.X. [University of Science and Technology, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Ko, W. I.; Lee, S. H. [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2015-10-15

Along with safety concerns, these long standing environmental challenges are the major factors influencing the public acceptance of nuclear power. Although nuclear power plays an important role in reducing carbon emissions from energy generation, this could not fully prove it as a sustainable energy source unless we find a consensus approach to treat the nuclear wastes. There are currently no countries that have completed a whole nuclear fuel cycle, and the relative comparison of the reprocessing spent fuel options versus direct disposal option is always a controversial issue. Without exception, nowadays, China is implementing many R and D projects on spent fuel management to find a long-term solution for nuclear fuel cycle system transition, such as deep geological repositories for High Level Waste (HLW), Pu Reduction by Solvent Extraction (PUREX) technology, and fast reactor recycling Mixed U-Pu Oxide (MOX) fuels, etc. This paper integrates the current nation's projects of back-end fuel cycle, analyzes the consequences of potential successes, failures and delays in the project development to future nuclear fuel cycle transition up to 2100. We compared the dynamic results of four scenarios and then assessed relative impact on spent fuel management. The result revealed that the fuel cycle transition of reprocessing and recycling of spent fuel would bring advantages to overall nuclear systems by reducing high level waste inventory, saving natural uranium resources, and reducing plutonium management risk.

Case histories of environmental assessment documents for nuclear waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vocke, R.W.

1985-01-01

Nuclear power programs and policies in the United States have been subject to environmental assessment under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) since 1971. NEPA documentation prepared for programmatic policy decision-making fuel cycle and concurrent federal policy are examined as they relate to radioactive waste management in this paper. Key programmatic environmental impact statements that address radioactive waste management include: the Atomic Energy Commission document on management of commercial high level and transuranium-contaminated radioactive waste, which focussed on development of engineered retrievable surface storage facilities (RSSF); the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) document on use of recycled plutonium in mixed oxide fuel in light water cooled reactors, which focussed on plutonium recycle and RSSF; the NRC statement on handling of spent light water power reactor fuel, which focussed on spent fuel storage; and the Department of Energy (DOE) statement on management of commercially generated radioactive wastes, which focussed on development of deep geologic repositories. DOE is currently pursuing the deep geologic repository option, with monitored retrievable storage as a secondary option

Management options for food production systems affected by a nuclear accident. Task 2: options for minimising the production of contaminated milk

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, J.G.; Nisbet, A.F.; Mercer, J.A.; Brown, J.; Wilkins, B.T.

2002-01-01

This report describes an evaluation of three possible means by which the production of waste milk could be reduced following a nuclear accident. The three options studied are the reduction of contaminated pasture in the diet, the drying off of lactating dairy cattle and the slaughter of dairy cattle. The practicability of each of these is considered using criteria such as technical feasibility, capacity, cost, impact and acceptability, where appropriate. In theory reductions in waste milk arisings can be achieved with each option, however, there are a number of limitations associated with their practical application. (author)

Nuclear waste management: options and implications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bartlett, J.W.

1976-01-01

This paper addresses three topics relevant to the technology of waste management: an overview describing the types of waste and the status of technologies used to manage them, a review of high-level waste management, and final disposition of the waste

Review of options for managing iodine-125 wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lock, P.J.; Wakerley, M.W.

1991-01-01

Data on the nature, radioactive content and management options used for I-125 wastes that are produced in England and Wales and fall within the provisions of the Radioactive Substances Act 1960 have been collated. The options for, and impacts of the disposal of these wastes have been reviewed and discussed. In addition storage for decay has been reviewed. The necessary storage requirements and methods of storage for the various waste forms have been examined. Conclusions are drawn with respect to the potential/suitability of the various waste management options. (author)

Thermal control of high energy nuclear waste, space option. [mathematical models

Science.gov (United States)

Peoples, J. A.

1979-01-01

Problems related to the temperature and packaging of nuclear waste material for disposal in space are explored. An approach is suggested for solving both problems with emphasis on high energy density waste material. A passive cooling concept is presented which utilized conduction rods that penetrate the inner core. Data are presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the rods and the limit of their capability. A computerized thermal model is discussed and developed for the cooling concept.

A new option for exploitage of future nuclear energy. Accelerator driven radioactive clean nuclear power system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ding Dazhao

2000-01-01

Nuclear energy is an effective, clean and safe energy resource. But some shortages of the nuclear energy system presently commercial available obstruct further development of the nuclear energy by heavy nuclear fission. Those are final disposal of the high level radioactive waste, inefficient use of the uranium resource and safety issue of the system. Innovative technical option is seeking for by the nuclear scientific community in recent ten years in aiming to overcome these obstacles, namely, accelerator driven sub-critical system (ADS). This hybrid system may bridge over the gap between presently commercial available nuclear power system and the full exploitation of the fusion energy. The basic principle of ADS is described and its capability in waste transmutation, conversion of the nuclear fuel are demonstrated by two examples--AD-fast reactor and AD-heavy water thermal reactor. The feasibility of ADS and some projects in US, Japan, etc are briefly discussed. The rationale in promoting the R and D of ADS in China is emphasized as China is at the beginning stage of its ambitious project in construction of the nuclear power

Ceramic process and plant design for high-level nuclear waste immobilization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grantham, L.F.; McKisson, R.L.; De Wames, R.E.; Guon, J.; Flintoff, J.F.; McKenzie, D.E.

1983-01-01

In the last 3 years, significant advances in ceramic technology for high-level nuclear waste solidification have been made. Product quality in terms of leach-resistance, compositional uniformity, structural integrity, and thermal stability promises to be superior to borosilicate glass. This paper addresses the process effectiveness and preliminary designs for glass and ceramic immobilization plants. The reference two-step ceramic process utilizes fluid-bed calcination (FBC) and hot isostatic press (HIP) consolidation. Full-scale demonstration of these well-developed processing steps has been established at DOE and/or commercial facilities for processing radioactive materials. Based on Savannah River-type waste, our model predicts that the capital and operating cost for the solidification of high-level nuclear waste is about the same for the ceramic and glass options. However, when repository costs are included, the ceramic option potentially offers significantly better economics due to its high waste loading and volume reduction. Volume reduction impacts several figures of merit in addition to cost such as system logistics, storage, transportation, and risk. The study concludes that the ceramic product/process has many potential advantages, and rapid deployment of the technology could be realized due to full-scale demonstrations of FBC and HIP technology in radioactive environments. Based on our finding and those of others, the ceramic innovation not only offers a viable backup to the glass reference process but promises to be a viable future option for new high-level nuclear waste management opportunities

BS degree in nuclear engineering or a nuclear option

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Williams on, T.G.

1988-01-01

Many nuclear engineering educators are concerned about the health of nuclear engineering academic departments. As part of a review of the BS nuclear engineering degree program at the University of Virginia, the authors surveyed several local utilities with operating nuclear plants about their needs for nuclear engineering graduates. The perception of many of the utility executives about a nuclear engineering degree and about a nuclear option in another engineering curriculum does not agree with the way the authors view these two degrees. The responses to two of the survey questions were of particular interest: (1) does your company have a preference between nuclear engineering graduates and graduates in other fields with a nuclear option? (2) what do you consider to be a minimum level of education in nuclear engineering for a nuclear option in mechanical engineering? All of the four utilities that were surveyed stated a preference for mechanical or electrical engineers with a nuclear option, although two indicated that there are certain jobs for which a nuclear engineering graduate is desired

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)

IAEA provisional code of practice on management of radioactive waste from nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1982-10-01

This Code of Practice defines the minimum requirements for operations and design of structures, systems and components important for management of wastes from thermal nuclear power plants. It emphasizes what safety requirements shall be met rather than specifies how these requirements can be met; the latter aspect is covered in Safety Guides. The Code defines the need for a Government to assume responsibility for regulating waste management practices in conjunction with the regulation of a nuclear power plant. The Code does not prejudge the organization of the regulatory authority, which may differ from one Member State to another, and may involve more than one body. Similarly, the Code does not deal specifically with the functions of a regulatory authority responsible for such matters, although it may be of value to Member States in providing a basis for consideration of such functions. The Code deals with the entire management system for all wastes from nuclear power plants embodying thermal reactors including PWR, BWR, HWR and HTGR technologies. Topics included are: design, normal and abnormal operation, and regulation of management systems for gaseous, liquid and solid wastes, including decommissioning wastes. The Code includes measures to be taken with regard to the wastes arising from spent fuel management at nuclear power plants. However, the options for further management of spent fuel are only outlined since it is the subject of decisions by individual Member States. The Code does not require that an option(s) be decided upon prior to construction or operation of a nuclear power plant

Risks attached to container- and bunker-storage of nuclear waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jager, D. de

1987-12-01

The results are presented of a literature study into the risks attached to the two dry-storage options selected by the Dutch Central Organization For Radioactive Waste (COVRA): the container- and the bunker-storage for irradiated nuclear-fuel elements and nuclear waste. Since the COVRA does not make it clear how these concepts should have to be realized, the experiences abroad with dry interim-storage are considered. In particular the Castor-container-storage and the bunker storage proposed in the committee MINSK (Possibilities of Interim-storage in the Netherlands of Irradiated nuclear-fuel elements and Nuclear waste) are studied further in depth. The committee MINSK has performed a study into the technical realizability of various interim-storage facilities, among which a storage in bunkers. (author). 75 refs.; 14 figs.; 16 tabs

Design Evolution Study - Aging Options

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McDaniel, P.

2002-01-01

The purpose of this study is to identify options and issues for aging commercial spent nuclear fuel received for disposal at the Yucca Mountain Mined Geologic Repository. Some early shipments of commercial spent nuclear fuel to the repository may be received with high-heat-output (younger) fuel assemblies that will need to be managed to meet thermal goals for emplacement. The capability to age as much as 40,000 metric tons of heavy metal of commercial spent nuclear he1 would provide more flexibility in the design to manage this younger fuel and to decouple waste receipt and waste emplacement. The following potential aging location options are evaluated: (1) Surface aging at four locations near the North Portal; (2) Subsurface aging in the permanent emplacement drifts; and (3) Subsurface aging in a new subsurface area. The following aging container options are evaluated: (1) Complete Waste Package; (2) Stainless Steel inner liner of the waste package; (3) Dual Purpose Canisters; (4) Multi-Purpose Canisters; and (5) New disposable canister for uncanistered commercial spent nuclear fuel. Each option is compared to a ''Base Case,'' which is the expected normal waste packaging process without aging. A Value Engineering approach is used to score each option against nine technical criteria and rank the options. Open issues with each of the options and suggested future actions are also presented. Costs for aging containers and aging locations are evaluated separately. Capital costs are developed for direct costs and distributable field costs. To the extent practical, unit costs are presented. Indirect costs, operating costs, and total system life cycle costs will be evaluated outside of this study. Three recommendations for aging commercial spent nuclear fuel--subsurface, surface, and combined surface and subsurface are presented for further review in the overall design re-evaluation effort. Options that were evaluated but not recommended are: subsurface aging in a new

Shale: an overlooked option for US nuclear waste disposal

Science.gov (United States)

Neuzil, Christopher E.

2014-01-01

Toss a dart at a map of the United States and, more often than not, it will land where shale can be found underground. A drab, relatively featureless sedimentary rock that historically attracted little interest, shale (as used here, the term includes clay and a range of clay-rich rocks) is entering Americans’ consciousness as a new source of gas and oil. But shale may also offer something entirely different—the ability to safely and permanently house high-level nuclear waste.

Disposal of slightly contaminated radioactive wastes from nuclear power plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Minns, J.L. [Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC (United States)

1995-02-01

With regard to the disposal of solid wastes, nuclear power plants basically have two options, disposal in a Part 61 licensed low-level waste site, or receive approval pursuant to 20.2002 for disposal in a manner not otherwise authorized by the NRC. Since 1981, the staff has reviewed and approved 30 requests for disposal of slightly contaminated radioactive materials pursuant to Section 20.2002 (formerly 20.302) for nuclear power plants located in non-Agreement States. NRC Agreement States have been delegated the authority for reviewing and approving such disposals (whether onsite or offsite) for nuclear power plants within their borders. This paper describes the characteristics of the waste disposed of, the review process, and the staff`s guidelines.

Ceramic Single Phase High-Level Nuclear Waste Forms: Hollandite, Perovskite, and Pyrochlore

Science.gov (United States)

Vetter, M.; Wang, J.

2017-12-01

The lack of viable options for the safe, reliable, and long-term storage of nuclear waste is one of the primary roadblocks of nuclear energy's sustainable future. The method being researched is the incorporation and immobilization of harmful radionuclides (Cs, Sr, Actinides, and Lanthanides) into the structure of glasses and ceramics. Borosilicate glasses are the main waste form that is accepted and used by today's nuclear industry, but they aren't the most efficient in terms of waste loading, and durability is still not fully understood. Synroc-phase ceramics (i.e. hollandite, perovskite, pyrochlore, zirconolite) have many attractive qualities that glass waste forms do not: high waste loading, moderate thermal expansion and conductivity, high chemical durability, and high radiation stability. The only downside to ceramics is that they are more complex to process than glass. New compositions can be discovered by using an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) to have more options to optimize the composition, loading for performance by analyzing the non-linear relationships between ionic radii, electronegativity, channel size, and a mineral's ability to incorporate radionuclides into its structure. Cesium can be incorporated into hollandite's A-site, while pyrochlore and perovskite can incorporate actinides and lanthanides into their A-site. The ANN is used to predict new compositions based on hollandite's channel size, as well as the A-O bond distances of pyrochlore and perovskite, and determine which ions can be incorporated. These new compositions will provide more options for more experiments to potentially improve chemical and thermodynamic properties, as well as increased waste loading capabilities.

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)

Safety Aspects of Radioactive Waste Management in Different Nuclear Fuel Cycle Policies, a Comparative Study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gad Allah, A.A.

2009-01-01

With the increasing demand of energy worldwide, and due to the depletion of conventional natural energy resources, energy policies in many countries have been devoted to nuclear energy option. On the other hand, adopting a safe and reliable nuclear fuel cycle concept guarantees future nuclear energy sustain ability is a vital request from environmental and economic point of views. The safety aspects of radioactive waste management in the nuclear fuel cycle is a topic of great importance relevant to public acceptance of nuclear energy and the development of nuclear technology. As a part of nuclear fuel cycle safety evaluation studies in the department of nuclear fuel cycle safety, National Center for Nuclear Safety and Radiation Control (NCNSRC), this study evaluates the radioactive waste management policies and radiological safety aspects of three different nuclear fuel cycle policies. The once-through fuel cycle (OT- fuel cycle) or the direct spent fuel disposal concept for both pressurized light water reactor ( PWR) and pressurized heavy water reactor (PHWR or CANDU) systems and the s elf-generated o r recycling fuel cycle concept in PWR have been considered in the assessment. The environmental radiological safety aspects of different nuclear fuel cycle options have been evaluated and discussed throughout the estimation of radioactive waste generated from spent fuel from these fuel cycle options. The decay heat stored in the spent fuel was estimated and a comparative safety study between the three fuel cycle policies has been implemented

Second interim assessment of the Canadian concept for nuclear fuel waste disposal. Volume 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gillespie, P.A.; Wuschke, D.M.; Guvanasen, V.M.; Mehta, K.K.; McConnell, D.B.; Tamm, J.A.; Lyon, R.B.

1985-12-01

The nuclear fuel waste disposal concept chosen for development and assessment in Canada involves the burial of corrosion-resistant containers of waste in a vault located deep in plutonic rock in the Canadian Shield. As the concept and the assessment tools are developed, periodic assessments are performed to permit evaluatin of the methodology and provide feedback to those developing the concept. The ultimate goal of these assessments is to predict what impact the disposal system would have if the concept were implemented. The second assessment was performed in 1984 and is documented in Second Interim Assessment of the Canadian Concept for Nuclear Fuel Waste Disposal - Volumes 1 to 4. This volume, entitled Background, discusses Canadian nuclear fuel wastes and the desirable features of a waste disposal method. It outlines several disposal options being considered by a number of countries, including the option chosen for development and assessment in Canada. The reference disposal systems assumed for the second assessment are described, and the approach used for concept assessment is discussed briefly. 79 refs

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

Future spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste infrastructure in Norway

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Soerlie, A.A.

2002-01-01

In Norway a Governmental Committee was appointed in 1991 to make an evaluation of the future steps that need to be taken in Norway to find a final solution for the spent nuclear fuel and for some other radioactive waste for which a disposal option does not exist today. The report from the Committee is now undergoing a formal hearing process. Based on the Committees recommendation and comments during the hearing the responsible Ministry will take a decision on future infrastructure in Norway for the spent nuclear fuel. This will be decisive for the future management of spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste in Norway. (author)

Assessing environmental and health impact of the nuclear fuel cycle. Methodology and application to prospective actinides recycling options

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garzenne, Claude; Grouiller, Jean-Paul; Le Boulch, Denis

2005-01-01

French Industrial Companies: EDF, AREVA (COGEMA and FRAMATOME-ANP), associated with ANDRA, the organization in charge of the waste management in France, and Public Research Institute CEA and IRSN, involved in the nuclear waste management, have developed in collaboration a methodology intended to assess the environmental and health impact of the nuclear fuel cycle. This methodology, based on fuel cycle simulation, Life Cycle Analysis, and Impact Studies of each fuel cycle facilities, has been applied to a set of nuclear scenarios covering a very contrasted range of waste management options, in order to characterize the effect of High Level Waste transmutation, and to estimate to what extent it could contribute to reduce their overall impact on health and environment. The main conclusion we could draw from this study is that it is not possible to discriminate, as far as health and environmental impacts are concerned, nuclear scenarios implementing very different levels of HLW transmutation, representative of the whole range of available options. The main limitation of this work is due to the hypothesis of normal behavior of all fuel cycle facilities: main future improvement of the methodology would be to take the accidental risk into account. (author)

Low-level radioactive waste management options

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schmalz, R.F.

1989-01-01

This paper discusses the non-technical problems associated with the social and political obstacles to the secure disposal of low level radioactive waste. The author reviews thirty years' experience managing non-military wastes. The merits of available options are considered

Determining ''Best Practicable Environmental Options'' for final waste disposal of radioactive waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, Graham

1999-01-01

This presentation discusses some ideas on what the Best Practical Environmental Option (BPEO) process should include. A BPEO study to help develop a radioactive waste management strategy should not only look at post-closure safety of a facility. In the UK there was a 1986 Study of BPEOs for management of low and intermediate level radioactive wastes. This study tried to answer important questions such as (1) What are the practical options, (2) Which wastes should go to shallow burial, (3) Which wastes should go to sea disposal, (4) How does storage compare with disposal and (5) What are the cost and environmental trade-offs. The presentation discusses what was done to answer the questions. The BPEO Study resulted in major improved effort to characterise waste, much greater quantitative understanding of where and when the real costs, and environmental and radiological impacts arise. All options would be useful within a national strategy. But there was clearly a need for resolution of political acceptance problems, integration of policy with other hazardous waste management, and stronger legal framework

Public concerns and choices regarding nuclear-waste repositories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

1981-06-01

Survey research on nuclear power issues conducted in the late 1970's has determined that nuclear waste management is now considered to be one of the most important nuclear power issues both by the US public and by key leadership groups. The purpose of this research was to determine the importance placed on specific issues associated with high-level waste disposal. In addition, policy option choices were asked regarding the siting of both low-level and high-level nuclear waste repositories. A purposive sampling strategy was used to select six groups of respondents. Averaged across the six respondent groups, the leakage of liquid wastes from storage tanks was seen as the most important high-level waste issue. There was also general agreement that the issue regarding water entering the final repository and carrying radioactive wastes away was second in importance. Overall, the third most important issue was the corrosion of the metal containers used in the high-level waste repository. There was general agreement among groups that the fourth most important issue was reducing safety to cut costs. The fifth most important issue was radioactive waste transportation accidents. Overall, the issues ranked sixth and seventh were, respectively, workers' safety and earthquakes damaging the repository and releasing radioactivity. The eighth most important issue, overall, was regarding explosions in the repository from too much radioactivity, which is something that is not possible. There was general agreement across all six respondent groups that the two least important issues involved people accidentally digging into the site and the issue that the repository might cost too much and would therefore raise electricity bills. These data indicate that the concerns of nuclear waste technologists and other public groups do not always overlap

Alternative disposal options for alpha-mixed low-level waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Loomis, G.G.; Sherick, M.J.

1995-01-01

This paper presents several disposal options for the Department of Energy alpha-mixed low-level waste. The mixed nature of the waste favors thermally treating the waste to either an iron-enriched basalt or glass waste form, at which point a multitude of reasonable disposal options, including in-state disposal, are a possibility. Most notably, these waste forms will meet the land-ban restrictions. However, the thermal treatment of this waste involves considerable waste handling and complicated/expensive offgas systems with secondary waste management problems. In the United States, public perception of offgas systems in the radioactive incinerator area is unfavorable. The alternatives presented here are nonthermal in nature and involve homogenizing the waste with cryogenic techniques followed by complete encapsulation with a variety of chemical/grouting agents into retrievable waste forms. Once encapsulated, the waste forms are suitable for transport out of the state or for actual in-state disposal. This paper investigates variances that would have to be obtained and contrasts the alternative encapsulation idea with the thermal treatment option

Alternative disposal options for alpha-mixed low-level waste

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Loomis, G.G.; Sherick, M.J. [Idaho National Engineering Lab., Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

1995-12-31

This paper presents several disposal options for the Department of Energy alpha-mixed low-level waste. The mixed nature of the waste favors thermally treating the waste to either an iron-enriched basalt or glass waste form, at which point a multitude of reasonable disposal options, including in-state disposal, are a possibility. Most notably, these waste forms will meet the land-ban restrictions. However, the thermal treatment of this waste involves considerable waste handling and complicated/expensive offgas, systems with secondary waste management problems. In the United States, public perception of off gas systems in the radioactive incinerator area is unfavorable. The alternatives presented here are nonthermal in nature and involve homogenizing the waste with cryogenic techniques followed by complete encapsulation with a variety of chemical/grouting agents into retrievable waste forms. Once encapsulated, the waste forms are suitable for transport out of the state or for actual in-state disposal. This paper investigates variances that would have to be obtained and contrasts the alternative encapsulation idea with the thermal treatment option.

Nuclear waste vs. democracy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Treichel, J.

1999-01-01

In the United States the storage and disposal of high-level nuclear waste is a highly contentious issue because under current plans the public is subjected to unaccepted, involuntary risks. The proposed federal policy includes the forced siting of a repository and interim storage facilities in Nevada, and the transport of waste across the entire nation through large cities and within 2 mile of over 50 million people. At its destination in Nevada, the residents would face coexistence with a facility housing highly radioactive wastes that remain dangerous for many thousands of years. Scientific predictions about the performance and safety of these facilities is highly uncertain and the people foresee possibly catastrophic threats to their health, safety and economic well-being for generations to come. The public sees this currently proposed plan as one that seeks to maximise the profits of the commercial nuclear industry through imposing risk and sacrifice to communities who reap no benefit. And there is no evidence that this plan is actually a solution to the problem. The American public has never had the opportunity to participate in the nuclear waste debate and government plans are presented to people as being necessary and inevitable. To allow democracy into the decisions could be costly to the nuclear industry and it might thwart the government program, but that is the nature of democracy. If the utilities are established to provide a public service, and the government is founded on the principle of public representation, then the nuclear waste debate must conform to those requirements. What we see in this case is a continuing change of rule and law to accommodate a corporate power and the subrogation of national principle. The result of this situation has been that the public exercises its only option - which is obstructing the federal plan. Because the odds are so heavily stacked in favour of government and industry and average citizens have so little access

Book of Abstracts of 9th International Conference: Nuclear Option in Countries with Small and Medium Electricity Grids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2012-01-01

The conference is organized with intention to focus on specific aspects of usage of nuclear energy for electricity production in small and medium countries. Importance of international cooperation for the assessment of the nuclear option has been recognised by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). As a result of this recognition, the Conference is organized in co-operation with IAEA. Croatian State Office for Radiological and Nuclear Safety and University of Zagreb, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing have also participated in Conference organization. Session topics reflect some current emphasis, such as country energy needs, operation and safety of the operating nuclear power plants. The conference also focuses on the exchange of experience and co-operation in the fields of fuel cycle, radioactive waste management, regulatory practices and liability and insurance for nuclear damage. All contributed papers are grouped in 10 sessions: Energy planning and nuclear option; Power reactors and technologies; Nuclear energy and environment; Operation and maintenance experience; Safety culture; Nuclear safety analyses; Reactor physics and nuclear fuel cycle; Radioactive waste management and decommissioning; Public relations; Regulatory practice and general papers.

Final disposal of nuclear waste

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Anon,

1995-10-01

The nuclear industry argues that high level radioactive waste can be safely disposed of in deep underground repositories. As yet, however, no such repositories are in use and the amount of spent nuclear fuel in ponds and dry storage is steadily increasing. Although the nuclear industry further argues that storage is a safe option for up to 50 years and has the merit of allowing the radioactivity of the fuel to decay to a more manageable level, the situation seems to be far from ideal. The real reasons for procrastination over deep disposal seem to have as much to do with politics as safe technology. The progress of different countries in finding a solution to the final disposal of high level waste is examined. In some, notably the countries of the former Soviet Union, cost is a barrier; in others, the problem has not yet been faced. In these countries undertaking serious research into deep disposal there has been a tendency, in the face of opposition from environmental groups, to retreat to sites close to existing nuclear installations and to set up rock laboratories to characterize them. These sites are not necessarily the best geologically, but the laboratories may end up being converted into actual repositories because of the considerable financial investment they represent. (UK).

Final disposal of nuclear waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1995-01-01

The nuclear industry argues that high level radioactive waste can be safely disposed of in deep underground repositories. As yet, however, no such repositories are in use and the amount of spent nuclear fuel in ponds and dry storage is steadily increasing. Although the nuclear industry further argues that storage is a safe option for up to 50 years and has the merit of allowing the radioactivity of the fuel to decay to a more manageable level, the situation seems to be far from ideal. The real reasons for procrastination over deep disposal seem to have as much to do with politics as safe technology. The progress of different countries in finding a solution to the final disposal of high level waste is examined. In some, notably the countries of the former Soviet Union, cost is a barrier; in others, the problem has not yet been faced. In these countries undertaking serious research into deep disposal there has been a tendency, in the face of opposition from environmental groups, to retreat to sites close to existing nuclear installations and to set up rock laboratories to characterize them. These sites are not necessarily the best geologically, but the laboratories may end up being converted into actual repositories because of the considerable financial investment they represent. (UK)

Nuclear Waste Disposal in Space: BEP's Best Hope?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coopersmith, Jonathan

2006-01-01

The best technology is worthless if it cannot find a market Beam energy propulsion (BEP) is a very promising technology, but faces major competition from less capable but fully developed conventional rockets. Rockets can easily handle projected markets for payloads into space. Without a new, huge demand for launch capability, BEP is unlikely to gain the resources it needs for development and application. Launching tens of thousands of tons of nuclear waste into space for safe and permanent disposal will provide that necessary demand while solving a major problem on earth. Several options exist to dispose of nuclear waste, including solar orbit, lunar orbit, soft lunar landing, launching outside the solar system, and launching into the sun

Engineering Options Assessment Report. Nitrate Salt Waste Stream Processing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Anast, Kurt Roy [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

2015-11-13

This report examines and assesses the available systems and facilities considered for carrying out remediation activities on remediated nitrate salt (RNS) and unremediated nitrate salt (UNS) waste containers at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). The assessment includes a review of the waste streams consisting of 60 RNS, 29 above-ground UNS, and 79 candidate below-ground UNS containers that may need remediation. The waste stream characteristics were examined along with the proposed treatment options identified in the Options Assessment Report . Two primary approaches were identified in the five candidate treatment options discussed in the Options Assessment Report: zeolite blending and cementation. Systems that could be used at LANL were examined for housing processing operations to remediate the RNS and UNS containers and for their viability to provide repackaging support for remaining LANL legacy waste.

Engineering Options Assessment Report: Nitrate Salt Waste Stream Processing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Anast, Kurt Roy [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

2015-11-18

This report examines and assesses the available systems and facilities considered for carrying out remediation activities on remediated nitrate salt (RNS) and unremediated nitrate salt (UNS) waste containers at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). The assessment includes a review of the waste streams consisting of 60 RNS, 29 aboveground UNS, and 79 candidate belowground UNS containers that may need remediation. The waste stream characteristics were examined along with the proposed treatment options identified in the Options Assessment Report . Two primary approaches were identified in the five candidate treatment options discussed in the Options Assessment Report: zeolite blending and cementation. Systems that could be used at LANL were examined for housing processing operations to remediate the RNS and UNS containers and for their viability to provide repackaging support for remaining LANL legacy waste.

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

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

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

Facts about Nuclear Waste Safety - How the issue is being treated in Ghana

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Glover, E.T.; Fletcher, J.J.

2001-01-01

The fear of radioactive discharges and releases particularly from severe nuclear accidents and radioactive waste is central to public concern about nuclear activities. This fear was witnessed when Ghana began to suffer shortage in electricity supply from the hydroelectric power station at Akosombo and debates began on Ghana's energy mix and alternate options. As in every country, dependable and continuous supply of electricity is a prerequisite for ensuring sustainable development. The Ghana Atomic Energy Commission was confronted at that time more than ever with the problem of public education on nuclear power safety to enhance public acceptance. This paper presents what the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission is doing to communicate facts and education about nuclear waste safety to the Ghanaian public and to facilitate the comparison of risk from nuclear reactors and disposal facilities with risks from other forms of technology. The paper also tells of the usefulness of and difficulties in using Jos Draiger and John Lakey's manual on Radiation and Radiation Protection to educate pupils in the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission Preparatory School. The difficulties in communication of facts about nuclear, radiation and waste safety in Ghana, because of the different languages and dialects used by Ghanaians in the rural areas of Ghana. As a large number of factors influence decision making in the energy sector. To assist energy planners, the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission carried out assessments of alternative energy sources, covering a broad range of technical, economic and environmental factors. Cost-benefit and risk-benefit analyses place the nuclear power option on a scale comparable to the other electricity generating technologies. How come then that nuclear power option has so much negative publicity? The conclusion is drawn that literacy in nuclear radiation and waste safety is needed at all levels of the Ghanaian society. As inadequate perception of radiation risk

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

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

Cementitious waste option scoping study report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, A.E.; Taylor, D.D.

1998-02-01

A Settlement Agreement between the Department of Energy (DOE) and the State of Idaho mandates that all high-level radioactive waste (HLW) now stored at the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant (ICPP) on the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) will be treated so that it is ready to be moved out of Idaho for disposal by a target date of 2035. This study investigates the nonseparations Cementitious Waste Option (CWO) as a means to achieve this goal. Under this option all liquid sodium-bearing waste (SBW) and existing HLW calcine would be recalcined with sucrose, grouted, canisterized, and interim stored as a mixed-HLW for eventual preparation and shipment off-Site for disposal. The CWO waste would be transported to a Greater Confinement Disposal Facility (GCDF) located in the southwestern desert of the US on the Nevada Test Site (NTS). All transport preparation, shipment, and disposal facility activities are beyond the scope of this study. CWO waste processing, packaging, and interim storage would occur over a 5-year period between 2013 and 2017. Waste transport and disposal would occur during the same time period

Cementitious waste option scoping study report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, A.E.; Taylor, D.D.

1998-02-01

A Settlement Agreement between the Department of Energy (DOE) and the State of Idaho mandates that all high-level radioactive waste (HLW) now stored at the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant (ICPP) on the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) will be treated so that it is ready to be moved out of Idaho for disposal by a target date of 2035. This study investigates the nonseparations Cementitious Waste Option (CWO) as a means to achieve this goal. Under this option all liquid sodium-bearing waste (SBW) and existing HLW calcine would be recalcined with sucrose, grouted, canisterized, and interim stored as a mixed-HLW for eventual preparation and shipment off-Site for disposal. The CWO waste would be transported to a Greater Confinement Disposal Facility (GCDF) located in the southwestern desert of the US on the Nevada Test Site (NTS). All transport preparation, shipment, and disposal facility activities are beyond the scope of this study. CWO waste processing, packaging, and interim storage would occur over a 5-year period between 2013 and 2017. Waste transport and disposal would occur during the same time period.

Reactor-based management of used nuclear fuel: assessment of major options.

Science.gov (United States)

Finck, Phillip J; Wigeland, Roald A; Hill, Robert N

2011-01-01

This paper discusses the current status of the ongoing Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative (AFCI) program in the U.S. Department of Energy that is investigating the potential for using the processing and recycling of used nuclear fuel to improve radioactive waste management, including used fuel. A key element of the strategies is to use nuclear reactors for further irradiation of recovered chemical elements to transmute certain long-lived highly-radioactive isotopes into less hazardous isotopes. Both thermal and fast neutron spectrum reactors are being studied as part of integrated nuclear energy systems where separations, transmutation, and disposal are considered. Radiotoxicity is being used as one of the metrics for estimating the hazard of used fuel and the processing of wastes resulting from separations and recycle-fuel fabrication. Decay heat from the used fuel and/or wastes destined for disposal is used as a metric for use of a geologic repository. Results to date indicate that the most promising options appear to be those using fast reactors in a repeated recycle mode to limit buildup of higher actinides, since the transuranic elements are a key contributor to the radiotoxicity and decay heat. Using such an approach, there could be much lower environmental impact from the high-level waste as compared to direct disposal of the used fuel, but there would likely be greater generation of low-level wastes that will also require disposal. An additional potential waste management benefit is having the ability to tailor waste forms and contents to one or more targeted disposal environments (i.e., to be able to put waste in environments best-suited for the waste contents and forms). Copyright © 2010 Health Physics Society

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. .

A multi-criteria decision analysis assessment of waste paper management options

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hanan, Deirdre [Department of Design, Development, Environment and Materials, The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA (United Kingdom); Burnley, Stephen, E-mail: s.j.burnley@open.ac.uk [Department of Design, Development, Environment and Materials, The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA (United Kingdom); Cooke, David [Department of Design, Development, Environment and Materials, The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA (United Kingdom)

2013-03-15

Highlights: ► Isolated communities have particular problems in terms of waste management. ► An MCDA tool allowed a group of non-experts to evaluate waste management options. ► The group preferred local waste management solutions to export to the mainland. ► Gasification of paper was the preferred option followed by recycling. ► The group concluded that they could be involved in the decision making process. - Abstract: The use of Multi-criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) was investigated in an exercise using a panel of local residents and stakeholders to assess the options for managing waste paper on the Isle of Wight. Seven recycling, recovery and disposal options were considered by the panel who evaluated each option against seven environmental, financial and social criteria. The panel preferred options where the waste was managed on the island with gasification and recycling achieving the highest scores. Exporting the waste to the English mainland for incineration or landfill proved to be the least preferred options. This research has demonstrated that MCDA is an effective way of involving community groups in waste management decision making.

A multi-criteria decision analysis assessment of waste paper management options

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hanan, Deirdre; Burnley, Stephen; Cooke, David

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► Isolated communities have particular problems in terms of waste management. ► An MCDA tool allowed a group of non-experts to evaluate waste management options. ► The group preferred local waste management solutions to export to the mainland. ► Gasification of paper was the preferred option followed by recycling. ► The group concluded that they could be involved in the decision making process. - Abstract: The use of Multi-criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) was investigated in an exercise using a panel of local residents and stakeholders to assess the options for managing waste paper on the Isle of Wight. Seven recycling, recovery and disposal options were considered by the panel who evaluated each option against seven environmental, financial and social criteria. The panel preferred options where the waste was managed on the island with gasification and recycling achieving the highest scores. Exporting the waste to the English mainland for incineration or landfill proved to be the least preferred options. This research has demonstrated that MCDA is an effective way of involving community groups in waste management decision making

New nuclear programmes must not neglect waste management - 59077

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McCombie, Charles

2012-01-01

Many established nuclear power programmes have learned to their dismay that waste management and disposal are not tasks that can be postponed at will if public and political acceptance is a prerequisite for progress. In fact, some programmes that recognised this back in the 1970's and 1980's moved into leading positions in repository development. This happened, for example, in Sweden and Switzerland where already in the 1970's Laws were passed specifying that safe disposal must be demonstrated before new nuclear plants could operate. In recent years, it has become recognised that, in order to ensure that the radioactive wastes in any country are managed safely, it is necessary to have an established legislative and regulatory framework and also to create the necessary organizations for implementation and for oversight of waste management operations and facility development. Guidance on these issues is given in the Joint Convention and a number of other IAEA documents. The IAEA, and also the EC, have in addition published key overarching advisory documents for new nuclear programmes. These are useful for strategic planning but, when it comes to actual implementation projects, the advice tends to imply that all nuclear programmes, however large or small, should be pressing ahead urgently towards early operation of geological repositories. In practice, however, in small programmes there are neither economic nor technical drivers for early implementation of deep geological repositories. Constructing simpler facilities for the disposal of the larger volume of low-level wastes has higher priority. Nevertheless, in all countries political decisions have to be taken and policies set in place to ensure that geological disposal will implemented without unjustified delay. This paper distils out a set of key messages for new programmes. Amongst the most critical are the following. Even if disposal is far off, planning and organization should begin at the initiation of the

Retrieval effects on ventilation and cooling requirements for a nuclear waste repository

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hambley, D.F.

1985-01-01

The Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 (Public Law 97-425) and the regulations promulgated in Title 10, Part 60 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10CFR60) by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for an underground repository for spent fuel and high level nuclear waste (HLW) require that it is possible to retrieve waste, for whatever reason, from such a facility for a period of 50 years from initial storage or until the completion of the performance confirmation period, whichever comes first. This paper considers the effects that the retrievability option mandates on ventilation and cooling systems required for normal repository operations. An example is given for a hypothetical repository in salt. 18 refs., 1 tab

Can shale safely host US nuclear waste?

Science.gov (United States)

Neuzil, C.E.

2013-01-01

"Even as cleanup efforts after Japan’s Fukushima disaster offer a stark reminder of the spent nuclear fuel (SNF) stored at nuclear plants worldwide, the decision in 2009 to scrap Yucca Mountain as a permanent disposal site has dimmed hope for a repository for SNF and other high-level nuclear waste (HLW) in the United States anytime soon. About 70,000 metric tons of SNF are now in pool or dry cask storage at 75 sites across the United States [Government Accountability Office, 2012], and uncertainty about its fate is hobbling future development of nuclear power, increasing costs for utilities, and creating a liability for American taxpayers [Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future, 2012].However, abandoning Yucca Mountain could also result in broadening geologic options for hosting America’s nuclear waste. Shales and other argillaceous formations (mudrocks, clays, and similar clay-rich media) have been absent from the U.S. repository program. In contrast, France, Switzerland, and Belgium are now planning repositories in argillaceous formations after extensive research in underground laboratories on the safety and feasibility of such an approach [Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future, 2012; Nationale Genossenschaft für die Lagerung radioaktiver Abfälle (NAGRA), 2010; Organisme national des déchets radioactifs et des matières fissiles enrichies, 2011]. Other nations, notably Japan, Canada, and the United Kingdom, are studying argillaceous formations or may consider them in their siting programs [Japan Atomic Energy Agency, 2012; Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO), (2011a); Powell et al., 2010]."

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)

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

Political insights on implementing the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Edwards, J.B.

1986-01-01

The author discusses the options available for implementing the Nuclear Waste Policy Act (NWPA) of 1982. The author concludes that the federal and state governments must cooperate because this is a political problem. Two sites must be selected because this gets the Western states supporting the act and provides a backup if problems develop at one site. The author says once 2-4 sites are chosen as finalists, an educational campaign must be done in those states to stress safety. Solving the waste problem will give the nuclear industry a brighter future

Underground storage tank integrated demonstration: Evaluation of pretreatment options for Hanford tank wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lumetta, G.J.; Wagner, M.J.; Colton, N.G.; Jones, E.O.

1993-06-01

Separation science plays a central role inn the pretreatment and disposal of nuclear wastes. The potential benefits of applying chemical separations in the pretreatment of the radioactive wastes stored at the various US Department of Energy sites cover both economic and environmental incentives. This is especially true at the Hanford Site, where the huge volume (>60 Mgal) of radioactive wastes stored in underground tanks could be partitioned into a very small volume of high-level waste (HLW) and a relatively large volume of low-level waste (LLW). The cost associated with vitrifying and disposing of just the HLW fraction in a geologic repository would be much less than those associated with vitrifying and disposing of all the wastes directly. Futhermore, the quality of the LLW form (e.g., grout) would be improved due to the lower inventory of radionuclides present in the LLW stream. In this report, we present the results of an evaluation of the pretreatment options for sludge taken from two different single-shell tanks at the Hanford Site-Tanks 241-B-110 and 241-U-110 (referred to as B-110 and U-110, respectively). The pretreatment options examined for these wastes included (1) leaching of transuranic (TRU) elements from the sludge, and (2) dissolution of the sludge followed by extraction of TRUs and 90 Sr. In addition, the TRU leaching approach was examined for a third tank waste type, neutralized cladding removal waste

Whither nuclear waste disposal?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cotton, T A [JK Research Associates, Silver Spring, MD (United States)

1990-07-01

With respect to the argument that geologic disposal has failed, I do not believe that the evidence is yet sufficient to support that conclusion. It is certainly true that the repository program is not progressing as hoped when the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 established a 1998 deadline for initial operation of the first repository. The Department of Energy (DOE) now expects the repository to be available by 2010, and tat date depends upon a finding that the Yucca Mountain site - the only site that DOE is allowed by law to evaluate - is in fact suitable for use. Furthermore, scientific evaluation of the site to determine its suitability is stopped pending resolution of two lawsuits. However, I believe it is premature to conclude that the legal obstacles are insuperable, since DOE just won the first of the two lawsuits, and chances are good it will win the second. The concept of geologic disposal is still broadly supported. A recent report by the Board on Radioactive Waste Management of the National Research Council noted that 'There is a worldwide scientific consensus that deep geological disposal, the approach being followed in the United States, is the best option for disposing of high-level radioactive waste'. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (USNRC) recently implicitly endorsed this view in adopting an updated Waste Confidence position that found confidence that a repository could be available in the first quarter of the next century - sufficient time to allow for rejection of Yucca Mountain and evaluation of a new site.

Whither nuclear waste disposal?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cotton, T.A.

1990-01-01

With respect to the argument that geologic disposal has failed, I do not believe that the evidence is yet sufficient to support that conclusion. It is certainly true that the repository program is not progressing as hoped when the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 established a 1998 deadline for initial operation of the first repository. The Department of Energy (DOE) now expects the repository to be available by 2010, and tat date depends upon a finding that the Yucca Mountain site - the only site that DOE is allowed by law to evaluate - is in fact suitable for use. Furthermore, scientific evaluation of the site to determine its suitability is stopped pending resolution of two lawsuits. However, I believe it is premature to conclude that the legal obstacles are insuperable, since DOE just won the first of the two lawsuits, and chances are good it will win the second. The concept of geologic disposal is still broadly supported. A recent report by the Board on Radioactive Waste Management of the National Research Council noted that 'There is a worldwide scientific consensus that deep geological disposal, the approach being followed in the United States, is the best option for disposing of high-level radioactive waste'. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (USNRC) recently implicitly endorsed this view in adopting an updated Waste Confidence position that found confidence that a repository could be available in the first quarter of the next century - sufficient time to allow for rejection of Yucca Mountain and evaluation of a new site

Techno-economical Analysis of High Level Waste Storage and Disposal Options

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bace, M.; Trontl, K.; Vrankic, K.

2002-01-01

Global warming and instability of gas and oil prices are redefining the role of nuclear energy in electrical energy production. A production of high-level radioactive waste (HLW), during the nuclear power plant operation and a danger of high level waste mitigation to the environment are considered by the public as a main obstacle of accepting the nuclear option. As economical and technical aspects of the back end of fuel cycle will affect the nuclear energy acceptance the techno-economical analysis of different methods for high level waste storage and disposal has to be performed. The aim of this paper is to present technical and economical characteristics of different HLW storage and disposal technologies. The final choice of a particular HLW management method is closely connected to the selection of a fuel cycle type: open or closed. Wet and dry temporary storage has been analyzed including different types of spent fuel pool capacity increase methods, different pool location (at reactor site and away from reactor site) as well as casks and vault system of dry storage. Since deep geological deposition is the only disposal method with a realistic potential, we focused our attention on that disposal technology. Special attention has been given to the new idea of international and regional disposal location. The analysis showed that a coexistence of different storage methods and deep geological deposition is expected in the future, regardless of the fuel cycle type. (author)

Book of Abstracts of 7th International Conference on Nuclear Option in Countries with Small and Medium Electricity Grids

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cavlina, N; Pevec, D; Bajs, T

2008-07-01

The conference is organized with intention to focus on specific aspects of usage of nuclear energy for electricity production in small and medium countries. Importance of international cooperation for the assessment of the nuclear option has been recognised by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). As a result of this recognition, the Conference is organized in co-operation with IAEA. Session topics reflect some current emphasis, such as country energy needs, accommodation on Kyoto restriction on CO{sub 2} emission, new reactor technologies, operation and safety of the operating nuclear power plants. The conference also focuses on the exchange of experience and co-operation in the fields of fuel cycle, radioactive waste management, regulatory practices and liability and insurance for nuclear damage. All contributed papers are grouped in 10 sessions: Energy planning and nuclear option; Power reactors and technologies; Operation and maintenance experience; Safety culture; Nuclear safety analyses; Reactor physics and nuclear fuel cycle; Radioactive waste management and decommissioning; Public relation; Regulatory practice; Liability and insurance for nuclear damage.

Book of Abstracts of 7th International Conference on Nuclear Option in Countries with Small and Medium Electricity Grids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cavlina, N.; Pevec, D.; Bajs, T.

2008-01-01

The conference is organized with intention to focus on specific aspects of usage of nuclear energy for electricity production in small and medium countries. Importance of international cooperation for the assessment of the nuclear option has been recognised by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). As a result of this recognition, the Conference is organized in co-operation with IAEA. Session topics reflect some current emphasis, such as country energy needs, accommodation on Kyoto restriction on CO 2 emission, new reactor technologies, operation and safety of the operating nuclear power plants. The conference also focuses on the exchange of experience and co-operation in the fields of fuel cycle, radioactive waste management, regulatory practices and liability and insurance for nuclear damage. All contributed papers are grouped in 10 sessions: Energy planning and nuclear option; Power reactors and technologies; Operation and maintenance experience; Safety culture; Nuclear safety analyses; Reactor physics and nuclear fuel cycle; Radioactive waste management and decommissioning; Public relation; Regulatory practice; Liability and insurance for nuclear damage

Environmental analysis of closure options for waste sites at the Savannah River Plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gordon, D.E.; King, C.M.; Looney, B.B.; Stephenson, D.E.; Johnson, W.F.

1987-01-01

Previously acceptable waste management practices (e.g., the use of unlined seepage basins) for discarding of wastes from nuclear materials production has resulted in occasional cases of groundwater contamination beneath some disposal sites, mainly in water-table aquifers. Groundwater contaminants include volatile organic compounds, heavy metals, radionuclides, and other chemicals. The closure of active and inactive waste sites that have received hazardous and/or low-level radioactive materials at the Savannah River Plant (SRP) is planned as part of an overall program to protect groundwater quality. DOE developed and submitted to Congress a groundwater protection plan for SRP. This initial plan and subsequent revisions provide the basis for closure of SRP waste sites to comply with applicable groundwater protection requirements. An environmental analysis of the closure options for the criteria waste sites that have received hazardous and/or low-level radioactive wastes was conducted to provide technical support. The several parts of this environmental analysis include description of geohydrologic conditions; determination of waste inventories; definition of closure options; modeling of environmental pathways; assessment of risk; and analysis of project costs. Each of these components of the overall analysis is described in turn in the following paragraphs. Production operations at SRP have generated a variety of solid, hazardous, and low-level radioactive waste materials. Several locations onplant have been used as waste disposal sites for solid and liquid wastes. Seventy-six individual waste sites at 45 distinct geographical locations on SRP have received hazardous, low-level radioactive, or mixed wastes. These waste sites can be categorized into 26 groupings according to the function of the waste disposed. 15 refs., 6 figs., 5 tabs

Concepts and strategies for management of nuclear wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1979-11-01

Three modes of reactor strategies are chosen and discussed; (1) Once-through type light water reactor, (2) U-Pu cycle light water reactor, and (3) U-Pu cycle fast breeder reactor. The arising of wastes in each mode of nuclear fuel cycle is first estimated for unit nuclear power generation of 1 GWe.year and the amount of wastes to be managed in each year is then calculated. Assuming the 2nd and the 3rd reprocessing plants are not operative, the decrease of waste arising is also estimated, which, nevertheless, claims the need for spent fuel storage pools. In addition, the arisings of decommissioning wastes are evaluated to identify their effect on waste management. Based on above fact, a generic logic of waste management is brought about, placing major emphasis on volume reduction, barrier- and decay-effects. According to the characteristics, the wastes arisen at each stage of nuclear fuel cycle can be categorized into (1) extremely low-level waste, (2) low- and intermediate-level waste, (3) alpha-waste and (4) high-level waste, and the suitable isolation periods for the specified categories can be set by the aid of hazard index, suggesting that the disposal options may possibly be selected. The waste disposal gives environmental impacts through dispersion and migration of contained nuclides into biosphere; the dispersion and migration paths are investigated and a mathematical expression to evaluate the impacts as dose commitment is presented. A multi-barrier concept is proposed since combined artificial and natural barriers have possibility of lengthening the migration path to enable safe disposal. Finally, items of research/development in waste management are represented from the viewpoints of (1) establishment of management system, (2) safety assessment covering verification of technology and system, and (3) regulation, giving recommendations for national policy making as well as for international co-operation. (JPN)

Nuclear Fuel Cycle Evaluation and Real Options

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. Havlíček

2008-01-01

Full Text Available The first part of this paper describes the nuclear fuel cycle. It is divided into three parts. The first part, called Front-End, covers all activities connected with fuel procurement and fabrication. The middle part of the cycle includes fuel reload design activities and the operation of the fuel in the reactor. Back-End comprises all activities ensuring safe separation of spent fuel and radioactive waste from the environment. The individual stages of the fuel cycle are strongly interrelated. Overall economic optimization is very difficult. Generally, NPV is used for an economic evaluation in the nuclear fuel cycle. However the high volatility of uranium prices in the Front-End, and the large uncertainty of both economic and technical parameters in the Back-End, make the use of NPV difficult. The real option method is able to evaluate the value added by flexibility of decision making by a company under conditions of uncertainty. The possibility of applying this method to the nuclear fuel cycle evaluation is studied. 

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

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.)

Characterization of INEL compactible wastes, compactor options study, and recommendations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gillins, R.L.; Larsen, M.M.; Aldrich, W.C.

1986-03-01

This report provides the results of a detailed characterization and evaluation of low-level radioactive waste generated at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) and an evaluation of compactors available commercially. The results of these evaluations formed the basis for a study of compactor options suitable for compacting INEL-generated low-level waste. Seven compactor options were evaluated. A decision analysis performed on the results of the compactor option study and cost analysis showed that a 200-ton box compactor and a 5000-ton box supercompactor were the best options for an INEL compaction facility other than the RWMC. Two compactor locations were considered: WERF and CPP. The WERF location is recommended on the basis of existing facilities to house the compactor and store the waste, the presence of a trained waste-handling staff, and the desirability of maintaining a single location for processing INEL-generated low-level waste

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

Time to rethink nuclear waste storage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Flynn, J.; Kasperson, R.; Kunreuther, H.; Slovic, P.

1992-01-01

The authors feel that given the levels of public opposition and distrust, congress should scrap the current nuclear waste storage program and reconsider the options. They observe that no compelling reason currently exists for siting a permanent repository at an early date. Technology developed in the past decade, especially dry-cask storage, provides assurance that wastes from commercial reactors can be stored safely for a lengthy period at current sites. In the longer term, reprocessing may reduce the volume of high-level wastes; storage elsewhere than in a geological repository may prove attractive; and experimental techniques such as transmutation - aimed at radically reducing the amount of time that wastes remain highly radioactive - could help solve the problem. In the meantime, the authors suggest that the US must begin a long-term effort to engage the public in a process of active collaboration. In doing so, the US has much to learn from other countries, where innovative approaches and techniques have began to establish public confidence

Advanced waste forms from spent nuclear fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ackerman, J.P.; McPheeters, C.C.

1995-01-01

More than one hundred spent nuclear fuel types, having an aggregate mass of more than 5000 metric tons (2700 metric tons of heavy metal), are stored by the United States Department of Energy. This paper proposes a method for converting this wide variety of fuel types into two waste forms for geologic disposal. The method is based on a molten salt electrorefining technique that was developed for conditioning the sodium-bonded, metallic fuel from the Experimental Breeder Reactor-II (EBR-II) for geologic disposal. The electrorefining method produces two stable, optionally actinide-free, high-level waste forms: an alloy formed from stainless steel, zirconium, and noble metal fission products, and a ceramic waste form containing the reactive metal fission products. Electrorefining and its accompanying head-end process are briefly described, and methods for isolating fission products and fabricating waste forms are discussed

Waste disposal options report. Volume 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Russell, N.E.; McDonald, T.G.; Banaee, J.; Barnes, C.M.; Fish, L.W.; Losinski, S.J.; Peterson, H.K.; Sterbentz, J.W.; Wenzel, D.R.

1998-02-01

Volume 2 contains the following topical sections: estimates of feed and waste volumes, compositions, and properties; evaluation of radionuclide inventory for Zr calcine; evaluation of radionuclide inventory for Al calcine; determination of k eff for high level waste canisters in various configurations; review of ceramic silicone foam for radioactive waste disposal; epoxides for low-level radioactive waste disposal; evaluation of several neutralization cases in processing calcine and sodium-bearing waste; background information for EFEs, dose rates, watts/canister, and PE-curies; waste disposal options assumptions; update of radiation field definition and thermal generation rates for calcine process packages of various geometries-HKP-26-97; and standard criteria of candidate repositories and environmental regulations for the treatment and disposal of ICPP radioactive mixed wastes

Waste disposal options report. Volume 2

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Russell, N.E.; McDonald, T.G.; Banaee, J.; Barnes, C.M.; Fish, L.W.; Losinski, S.J.; Peterson, H.K.; Sterbentz, J.W.; Wenzel, D.R.

1998-02-01

Volume 2 contains the following topical sections: estimates of feed and waste volumes, compositions, and properties; evaluation of radionuclide inventory for Zr calcine; evaluation of radionuclide inventory for Al calcine; determination of k{sub eff} for high level waste canisters in various configurations; review of ceramic silicone foam for radioactive waste disposal; epoxides for low-level radioactive waste disposal; evaluation of several neutralization cases in processing calcine and sodium-bearing waste; background information for EFEs, dose rates, watts/canister, and PE-curies; waste disposal options assumptions; update of radiation field definition and thermal generation rates for calcine process packages of various geometries-HKP-26-97; and standard criteria of candidate repositories and environmental regulations for the treatment and disposal of ICPP radioactive mixed wastes.

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

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.)

A multi-criteria decision analysis assessment of waste paper management options.

Science.gov (United States)

Hanan, Deirdre; Burnley, Stephen; Cooke, David

2013-03-01

The use of Multi-criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) was investigated in an exercise using a panel of local residents and stakeholders to assess the options for managing waste paper on the Isle of Wight. Seven recycling, recovery and disposal options were considered by the panel who evaluated each option against seven environmental, financial and social criteria. The panel preferred options where the waste was managed on the island with gasification and recycling achieving the highest scores. Exporting the waste to the English mainland for incineration or landfill proved to be the least preferred options. This research has demonstrated that MCDA is an effective way of involving community groups in waste management decision making. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Waste processing options

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Turney, J.; Miller, A.; Leventhal, L.; Naughton, M.

1985-01-01

Decontamination of components, facilities and sites is becoming an increasingly significant source of low-level waste. Another source, of potentially greater magnitude, is the decommissioning of nuclear reactor facilities. According to DOE, there are about 15 operating reactors that will be candidates for decommissioning by the end of the century. In addition, there are reactors such as Humboldt Bay, Dresden 1, and Indian Point, Unit 1, which have been shut down prior to their design life. Chemical decontamination of components and systems is a frequently used technique in controlling nuclear plant radiation exposure, and is especially useful during decommissioning. However, many of the solutions used pose a chemical or biological hazard, in addition to being radioactively contaminated. These hazards, if not ameliorated, may prohibit their disposal. Recent regulations, such as 10CFR Part 61(2), are focusing more attention on the non-radioactive aspects of radioactive waste. 10CFR Part 61 and the existing burial site licenses prohibit burial of waste which is chemically reactive, explosive under ambient conditions, produces toxic gases, vapors or fumes, or is pyrophoric. Additionally, the Barnwell license restricts organic chemicals which may affect the migration of radionuclides from the burial site. The NRC is studying additional restrictions on a class of these chemicals called chelating agents

Waste minimization: A team approach at McGuire nuclear

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Poteat, E.L.

1995-01-01

The production of radioactive waste and its subsequent disposal is a costly proposition. Burial of low-level waste (LLW), if available at all, is expensive and getting more so. The availability of disposal options is often subject to the whims and vagaries of political forces that cannot be predicted, let alone controlled in any way by the members of the nuclear community. On-site storage is a limited and, quite often, an extremely difficult process to put into place. After LLW has been generated, various volume reduction techniques are available, but these can vary widely in cost and effectiveness. If and when new disposal sites are available, the waste acceptance criteria may be such that some or all of the volume reduction processes will not produce an acceptable final waste form. Consequently, the best thing to do is probably deceptively simple: Do not generate the waste in the first place. This is the philosophy that McGuire nuclear station operates under, and this paper discusses the team approach that has been developed to support this idea

Comparative evaluation of radioactive waste management options. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Appel, D.; Kreusch, J.; Neumann, W.

2001-05-01

A comprehensive presentation of the various radioactive waste options under debate has not been made so far, let alone a comparative evaluation of the options with respect to their substantiated or assumed advantages or drawbacks. However, any appropriate discussion about the pros and cons of the specific options for final decision making has to be based on a comprehensive knowledge base drawn from profound comparative evaluation of essential options. Therefore, the study reported in this publication was to serve three major purposes: Presentation of the conditions and waste management policies and approaches in selected countries, in order to compile information about the various policy goals and the full scope of argumentation, as well as the range of individual arguments used for or against specific options. - Derivation of a methodology for evaluation, including development of criteria for a comparative and qualitative evaluation of options. - Identification of possible implications for a waste management strategy for Germany, derived from the results of the comparative evaluation and the examination of the reasonings and argumentation used in the various countries. (orig./CB) [de

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

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

Integrated model of Korean spent fuel and high level waste disposal options - 16091

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hwang, Yongsoo; Miller, Ian

2009-01-01

This paper describes an integrated model developed by the Korean Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) to simulate options for disposal of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and reprocessing products in South Korea. A companion paper (Hwang and Miller, 2009) describes a systems-level model of Korean options for spent nuclear fuel (SNF) management in the 21. century. The model addresses alternative design concepts for disposal of SNF of different types (Candu, PWR), high level waste, and fission products arising from a variety of alternative fuel cycle back ends. It uses the GoldSim software to simulate the engineered system, near-field and far-field geosphere, and biosphere, resulting in long-term dose predictions for a variety of receptor groups. The model's results allow direct comparison of alternative repository design concepts, and identification of key parameter uncertainties and contributors to receptor doses. (authors)

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

Third Finnish-German seminar on nuclear waste management 1986

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lamberg, L.

1988-01-01

The scope of the seminar was to provide an interdisciplinary forum for exchange of information and experiences in the field of nuclear waste management. The highlights of the seminar focused on the following topics: overall reviews, waste products, nearfield phenomena, site investigations, performance assessment and decommissioning. All together 20 papers were presented. Reviews, status reports and experimental studies dealt with general research programs and current research and development activities including regulatory aspects. Extensive discussions provided and opportunity to identify issues and options for further research

Proceedings and Book of Abstracts of 8th International Conference: Nuclear Option in Countries with Small and Medium Electricity Grids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2010-01-01

The conference is organized with intention to focus on specific aspects of usage of nuclear energy for electricity production in small and medium countries. Importance of international cooperation for the assessment of the nuclear option has been recognised by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). As a result of this recognition, the Conference is organized in co-operation with IAEA. Session topics reflect some current emphasis, such as country energy needs, accommodation on Kyoto restriction on CO 2 emission, new reactor technologies, operation and safety of the operating nuclear power plants. The conference also focuses on the exchange of experience and co-operation in the fields of fuel cycle, radioactive waste management, regulatory practices and liability and insurance for nuclear damage. All contributed papers are grouped in 10 sessions: Energy planning and nuclear option; Power reactors and technologies; Nuclear energy and environment; Operation and maintenance experience; Safety culture; Nuclear safety analyses; Reactor physics and nuclear fuel cycle; Radioactive waste management and decommissioning; Public relations; Regulatory practice and general papers.

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

Options contracts in the nuclear fuel industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fuller, D.M.

1995-01-01

This article discusses options trading in the nuclear fuels industry. Although there now exists no formal options market in the nuclear industry, flexibilities, or embedded options, are actually quite common in the long-term supply contracts. The value of these flexibilities can be estimated by applying the methods used to evaluate options. The method used is the Black-Scholes Model, and it is applied to a number of examples

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)

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.

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.

The nuclear energy option an alternative for the 90s

CERN Document Server

Cohen, Bernard L

1990-01-01

University of Pittsburgh physicist Cohen provides accessible, scientifically sound risk analyses of the energy options that he believes must be exercised in the next 10 years. This update of his work on public energy policy stands opposed to the stack of recent greenhouse effect-oriented titles by proposing more nuclear power plants (including fuel reprocessing plants) as statistically the safest, most environmentally sound solution. Cohen advances the debate on energy policy for all sides by first quantifying the human health costs of coal- and oil-generated electricity, and by debunking solar technology's deus ex machina role. In this context, Cohen looks at issues surrounding nuclear power since Three Mile Island, such as the "unsolved problem" of nuclear waste disposal and the "China Syndrome." Media people especially are urged to re-examine "nuclear hysteria" (no one ever writes about " deadly natural gas," Cohen notes), and even anti-nuclear activists will find the study's appendices and notes a sourceb...

SRNL CRP progress report [Development of Melt Processed Ceramics for Nuclear Waste Immobilization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Amoroso, J. [Savannah River National Laboratory, Aiken, SC (United States); Marra, J. [Savannah River National Laboratory, Aiken, SC (United States)

2014-10-02

A multi-phase ceramic waste form is being developed at the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) for treatment of secondary waste streams generated by reprocessing commercial spent nuclear. The envisioned waste stream contains a mixture of transition, alkali, alkaline earth, and lanthanide metals. Ceramic waste forms are tailored (engineered) to incorporate waste components as part of their crystal structure based on knowledge from naturally found minerals containing radioactive and non-radioactive species similar to the radionuclides of concern in wastes from fuel reprocessing. The ability to tailor ceramics to mimic naturally occurring crystals substantiates the long term stability of such crystals (ceramics) over geologic timescales of interest for nuclear waste immobilization [1]. A durable multiphase ceramic waste form tailored to incorporate all the waste components has the potential to broaden the available disposal options and thus minimize the storage and disposal costs associated with aqueous reprocessing.

SRNL CRP progress report [Development of Melt Processed Ceramics for Nuclear Waste Immobilization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amoroso, J.; Marra, J.

2014-01-01

A multi-phase ceramic waste form is being developed at the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) for treatment of secondary waste streams generated by reprocessing commercial spent nuclear fuel. The envisioned waste stream contains a mixture of transition, alkali, alkaline earth, and lanthanide metals. Ceramic waste forms are tailored (engineered) to incorporate waste components as part of their crystal structure based on knowledge from naturally found minerals containing radioactive and non-radioactive species similar to the radionuclides of concern in wastes from fuel reprocessing. The ability to tailor ceramics to mimic naturally occurring crystals substantiates the long term stability of such crystals (ceramics) over geologic timescales of interest for nuclear waste immobilization [1]. A durable multiphase ceramic waste form tailored to incorporate all the waste components has the potential to broaden the available disposal options and thus minimize the storage and disposal costs associated with aqueous reprocessing

Final disposal of high levels waste and spent nuclear fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gelin, R.

1984-05-01

Foreign and international activities on the final disposal of high-level waste and spent nuclear fuel have been reviewed. A considerable research effort is devoted to development of acceptable disposal options. The different technical concepts presently under study are described in the report. Numerous studies have been made in many countries of the potential risks to future generations from radioactive wastes in underground disposal repositories. In the report the safety assessment studies and existing performance criteria for geological disposal are briefly discussed. The studies that are being made in Canada, the United States, France and Switzerland are the most interesting for Sweden as these countries also are considering disposal into crystalline rocks. The overall time-tables in different countries for realisation of the final disposal are rather similar. Normally actual large-scale disposal operations for high-level wastes are not foreseen until after year 2000. In the United States the Congress recently passed the important Nuclear Waste Policy Act. It gives a rather firm timetable for site-selection and construction of nuclear waste disposal facilities. According to this act the first repository for disposal of commercial high-level waste must be in operation not later than in January 1998. (Author)

A Study on Optimized Management Options for the Wolsong Low- and Intermediate - Level Waste Disposal Center in Korea - 13479

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, JooWan; Kim, DongSun; Choi, DongEun [Korea Radioactive Waste Management Corporation, Korea 89, Bukseongno, Gyeongju, 780-050 (Korea, Republic of)

2013-07-01

The safe and effective management of radioactive waste is a national task required for sustainable generation of nuclear power and for energy self-reliance in Korea. Currently, for permanent disposal of low- and intermediate-level waste (LILW), the Wolsong LILW Disposal Center (WLDC) is under construction. It will accommodate a total of 800,000 drums at the final stage after stepwise expansion. As an implementing strategy for cost-effective development of the WLDC, various disposal options suitable for waste classification schemes would be considered. It is also needed an optimized management of the WLDC by taking a countermeasure of volume reduction treatment. In this study, various management options to be applied to each waste class are analyzed in terms of its inventory and disposal cost. For the volume reduction and stabilization of waste, the vitrification and plasma melting methods are considered for combustible and incombustible waste, respectively. (authors)

Process arrangement options for Defense waste immobilization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1980-02-01

Current plans are to immobilize the SRP high-level liquid wastes in a high integrity form. Borosilicate glass was selected in 1977 as the reference waste form and a mjaor effort is currently underway to develop the required technology. A large new facility, referred to as the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) is being designed to carry out this mission, with project authorization targeted for 1982 and plant startup in 1989. However, a number of other process arrangements or manufacturing strategies, including staging the major elements of the project or using existing SRP facilities for some functions, have been suggested in lieu of building the reference DWPF. This study assesses these various options and compares them on a technical and cost basis with the DWPF. Eleven different manufacturing options for SRP defense waste solidification were examined in detail. These cases are: (1) vitrification of acid waste at current generation rate; (2) vitrification of current rate acid waste and caustic sludge; (3 and 4) vitrification of the sludge portion of neutralized waste; (5) decontamination of salt cake and storage of concentrated cesium and strontium for later immobilization; (6) processing waste in a facility with lower capacity than the DWPF; (7) processing waste in a combination of existing and new facilities; (8) waste immobilization in H Canyon; (9) vitrification of both sludge and salt; (10) DWPF with onsite storage; (11) deferred authorization of DWPF

Future-proof radioactive waste treatment technologies for nuclear power plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Buettner, Klaus; Braehler, Georg [NUKEM Technologies Engineering Services GmbH, Alzenau (Germany)

2014-08-15

In order to select the optimal treatment method for radioactive waste three options can be considered. First, to treat the radioactive waste only to allow long term interim storage until the waste acceptance criteria are defined and the disposal sites are operable. Second, to select treatment methods just in compliance with the current state of discussion with the regard to the above. Third, taking also the future development in the field of waste acceptance criteria and disposal into account. When developing waste treatment systems for Nuclear Power Plants NUKEM Technologies follows the following targets, minimisation of the amount of radioactive waste, maximisation of free release material, volume reduction, avoidance of unwanted materials in the waste package, as well as efficient waste treatment solutions (low investment, high volume reduction). With its technologies produced waste packages fulfil the most stringent waste acceptance criteria.

Current situation of Islamabad solid waste dumpsite and options for improvement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baig, M.A.; Elahi, R.E.; Malik, M.

2003-01-01

A study was undertaken to assess the existing situation of H-12 dumpsite, where solid waste from Islamabad City is being dumped since 1988, and to propose options for its improvement. The study methodology involved collection of baseline information, topographical survey, analysis of leachate samples, characterization of incoming waste and evaluation of options for rehabilitation and improvement of the site. The results of the study revealed that solid waste dumped at the H-12 dumpsite, which currently receives about 320 tons of solid waste daily, covers an area of 22.4 hectares. The corresponding volume and weight of the waste were found to be 0.45 million m3 and 0.143 million tons, respectively. Specific weight and moisture content of the old dumped waste were found to be 22 percent and 320 kg/m3, respectively. Analysis of leachate samples collected from the dumpsite were found to be highly contaminated. Characterization of solid waste delivered at the site showed that it mainly comprises a mix of construction and demolition waste, food waste and hospital waste thus indicating that material recovery operations would not be feasible. In order to improve and rehabilitate the dumpsite with a view to mitigate its adverse environmental impacts, three options were considered. These include (a) improvement and rehabilitation of the site without making provision for further inflow of waste; (b) improvement and rehabilitation of the dumpsite with provision to receive the waste for a period of another 10 years; and (c) shifting the dumped waste to the proposed Kurri Landfill site. Technical and financial aspects of all the three options are described and recommendations regarding the most environment friendly option are presented. (author)

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)

Option managing for radioactive metallic waste from the decommissioning of Kori Unit 1

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kessel, David S.; Kim, Chagn Lak [KEPCO International Nuclear Graduate School (KINGS), Ulsan (Korea, Republic of)

2017-06-15

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate several leading options for the management of radioactive metallic waste against a set of general criteria including safety, cost effectiveness, radiological dose to workers and volume reduction. Several options for managing metallic waste generated from decommissioning are evaluated in this paper. These options include free release, controlled reuse, and direct disposal of radioactive metallic waste. Each of these options may involve treatment of the metal waste for volume reduction by physical cutting or melting. A multi-criteria decision analysis was performed using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to rank the options. Melting radioactive metallic waste to produce metal ingots with controlled reuse or free release is found to be the most effective option.

Impact of Nuclear Energy Futures on Advanced Fuel Cycle Options

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brent W. Dixon; Steven J. Piet

2004-01-01

The Nuclear Waste Policy Act requires the Secretary of Energy to inform Congress before 2010 on the need for a second geologic repository for spent nuclear fuel. By that time, the spent fuel discharged from current commercial reactors will exceed the statutory limit of the first repository (63,000 MTiHM commercial, 7,000 MT non-commercial). There are several approaches to eliminate the need for another repository in this century. This paper presents a high-level analysis of these spent fuel management options in the context of a full range of possible nuclear energy futures. The analysis indicates the best option to implement varies depending on the nuclear energy future selected. The first step in understanding the need for different spent fuel management approaches is to understand the size of potential spent fuel inventories. A full range of potential futures for domestic commercial nuclear energy is considered. These energy futures are as follows: 1. Existing License Completion - Based on existing spent fuel inventories plus extrapolation of future plant-by-plant discharges until the end of each operating license, including known license extensions. 2. Extended License Completion - Based on existing spent fuel inventories plus a plant-by-plant extrapolation of future discharges assuming on all operating plants having one 20-year extension. 3. Continuing Level Energy Generation - Based on extension of the current ∼100 GWe installed commercial base and average spent fuel discharge of 2100 MT/yr through the year 2100. 4. Continuing Market Share Generation - Based on a 1.8% compounded growth of the electricity market through the year 2100, matched by growing nuclear capacity and associated spent fuel discharge. 5. Growing Market Share Generation - Extension of current nuclear capacity and associated spent fuel discharge through 2100 with 3.2% growth representing 1.5% market growth (all energy, not just electricity) and 1.7% share growth. Share growth results in

Shipments of nuclear fuel and waste: are they really safe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1977-10-01

The safety aspects of shipping nuclear fuels and radioactive wastes are discussed by considering: US regulations on the shipment of hazardous and radioactive materials, types of radioactive wastes; packaging methods, materials, and specifications; design of shipping containers; evaluation of the risk potential under normal shipping conditions and in accident situations. It is concluded that: the risk of public catastrophe has been eliminated by strict standards, engineering design safety, and operational care; the long-term public burden of not transporting nuclear materials is likely to be higher than the risks of carefully controlled transportation, considering the various options available; and the likelihood of death, injury, or serious property damage from the nuclear aspects of nuclear transportation is thousands of times less than the likelihood of death, injury, or serious property damage from more common hazards, such as automobile accidents, boating accidents, accidental poisoning, gunshot wounds, fires, or even falls

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.)

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.)

Nuclear Option in Korea

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han, K. I.

2002-01-01

With sixteen(16) operating nuclear units in Korea, the share of nuclear power generation reached 41% of the total electric power generation as of December 2000. A prediction is that it would further increase to 44.5% by year 2015 according to the national long term power development plan. Four units are currently under construction with 6 more units in order. With little domestic energy resource and increasing energy demand to support national economic growth, Korea has chosen nuclear power as one of the major energy sources to ensure stable power supply and to promote energy self-sufficiency. It has been recognized that nuclear power in Korea is not a selective option but rather a necessity. The Korean nuclear power development started with construction of a 600 MWe size reactor that was designed and constructed by foreign vendors. As the national grid capacity became larger, the size of nuclear units increased to 1000 MWe class. In the mean time, the need for nuclear technology self-reliance grew not only in operation and maintenance but also in construction, manufacturing and design. For this, a nuclear technology self-reliance program has been embarked with the support of the Government and utility, and the 1000 MWe class KSNP(Korean Standard Nuclear Power Plant) has been developed. The KSNPs are currently being designed, manufactured, constructed and operated by relevant Korean entities themselves. To fit into a larger capacity national grid and also to improve nuclear economic competitiveness, the 1400 MWe class KNGR(Korean Next Generation Reactor) design has been developed uprating the 1000 MWe KSNP design. Its construction project is currently under contract negotiation, and is planned to be finished by 2010. In the mean time, to be ready for future electric power market deregulation, the 600 MWe class small KSNP design is being developed downsizing the KSNP. A modular small size reactor, SMART(System Integrated Modular Advanced Reactor) is also being

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

Identification and evaluation of alternative radioactive waste categorisation options

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maul, P.R.; Smith, G.M.; Stenhouse, M.J.; Watkins, B.M.

1996-09-01

The purpose of the research described in this report was to consider the options for future UK radioactive waste categorisation, to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of each option and, as a result, to identify any which might be viable practical alternatives to the current arrangements. The review process included meetings with large and small waste producers, a wider consultation exercise using a questionnaire, a presentation to RWMAC, and discussion with representatives of the UK regulators. These consultations provided the basis for the formulation and evaluation of a number of alternative waste categorisation schemes. (UK)

Nevada Transportation Options Study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

P. GEHNER; E.M. WEAVER; L. FOSSUM

2006-01-01

This study performs a cost and schedule analysis of three Nevada Transportation options that support waste receipt at the repository. Based on the U.S. Department of Energy preference for rail transportation in Nevada (given in the Final Environmental Impact Statement), it has been assumed that a branch rail line would be constructed to support waste receipt at the repository. However, due to potential funding constraints, it is uncertain when rail will be available. The three Nevada Transportation options have been developed to meet a varying degree of requirements for transportation and to provide cost variations used in meeting the funding constraints given in the Technical Direction Letter guidelines for this study. The options include combinations of legal-weight truck, heavy-haul truck, and rail. Option 1 uses a branch rail line that would support initial waste receipt at the repository in 2010. Rail transportation would be the primary mode, supplemented by legal weight trucks. This option provides the highest level of confidence in cost and schedule, lowest public visibility, greatest public acceptability, lowest public dose, and is the recommended option for support of waste receipt. The completion of rail by 2010 will require spending approximately $800 million prior to 2010. Option 2 uses a phased rail approach to address a constrained funding scenario. To meet funding constraints, Option 2 uses a phased approach to delay high cost activities (final design and construction) until after initial waste receipt in 2010. By doing this, approximately 95 percent of the cost associated with completion of a branch rail line is deferred until after 2010. To support waste receipt until a branch rail line is constructed in Nevada, additional legal-weight truck shipments and heavy-haul truck shipments (on a limited basis for naval spent nuclear fuel) would be used to meet the same initial waste receipt rates as in Option 1. Use of heavy-haul shipments in the absence

Nuclear waste disposal: Can there be a resolution? Past problems and future solutions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ahearne, J [Scientific Research Society, Sigma Xi, Research Triangle Park, NC (United States)

1990-07-01

selected for shipping casks from reactors at end of lifetime. The locations of these sites should be chosen using the following technique: recognize these are unwanted products and consequently any locale taking them must receive a fee for service. And this fee for service should be chosen on the basis of whoever is willing to make the lowest bid. We then would adopt the wait solution. I recognize this may lead to requiring large payments and perhaps may not lead to a revival of the nuclear option. But what I am addressing here today is a possible solution to the nuclear waste problem, not revival of the nuclear option.

Nuclear waste disposal: Can there be a resolution? Past problems and future solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahearne, J.

1990-01-01

selected for shipping casks from reactors at end of lifetime. The locations of these sites should be chosen using the following technique: recognize these are unwanted products and consequently any locale taking them must receive a fee for service. And this fee for service should be chosen on the basis of whoever is willing to make the lowest bid. We then would adopt the wait solution. I recognize this may lead to requiring large payments and perhaps may not lead to a revival of the nuclear option. But what I am addressing here today is a possible solution to the nuclear waste problem, not revival of the nuclear option

Use of comparative assessment framework for comparison of geological nuclear waste and CO2 disposal technologies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Streimikiene, Dalia

2010-09-15

Comparative assessment of few future energy and climate change mitigation options for Lithuania in 2020 performed indicated that nuclear and combined cycle gas turbine technologies are very similar energy options in terms of costs taking into account GHG emission reduction costs. Comparative assessment of these energy options requires evaluation of the potentials and costs for geological CO2 and nuclear waste storage as the main uncertainties in comparative assessment of electricity generation technologies are related with these back-end technologies. The paper analyses the main characteristics of possible geological storage of CO2 and NW options in Lithuania.

Fair rules for siting a high-level nuclear waste repository

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Easterling, D.

1992-01-01

Geologic repositories are designed to resolve the ever-growing problem of high-level nuclear waste, but these facilities invite intense local opposition due to the perceived severity of the risks and the possibility of stigma effects. This analysis examines whether the perceived fairness of the siting process affects local residents' support for hosting a repository. In particular, a survey of 1,001 Nevada residents is used to test the hypothesis that an individual's willingness to accept a local repository will increase if he or she is convinced that this is the safest disposal option available. A logistic analysis indicates that beliefs regarding relative suitability have an independent effect on the acceptability of a local repository (i.e., Yucca Mountain). The article then considers the question of how to implement an optimizing strategy for siting facilities, comparing an idealized strategy against the original Nuclear Waste Policy Act (NWPA) of 1982 and the Amendments Act of 1987. Although choosing the safest site seems as if it could enhance public acceptance of the repository program, there is currently little prospect of identifying the best option to the high-level waste problem and, as a results, little chance of gaining the public support that is necessary to promote a successful siting outcome. 81 refs., 1 fig., 5 tabs

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

The international politics of nuclear waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blowers, Andrew; Lowry, David; Solomon, B.D.

1991-01-01

The dilemma of disposing nuclear waste is likened to dealing with the menace of the Ring in Tolkein's 'Lord of the Ring'; there are only two courses open 'to hide the Ring or to unmake it; both are beyond our power'. This book attempts an understanding of the contemporary politics of radioactive waste. Chapters 1 and 2 set out the background and historical context for the current position where the options have been narrowed by public opposition. The main story of the book looks at the situation in the United Kingdom, but comparisons are drawn with the USA, western Germany, Sweden and France. The studies spanned six years and are based on visits, discussions and observations. The last chapter asks the question-what are the political conditions necessary for the development of publicly acceptable policies for the management of radioactive wastes ? As Tolkein put it 'we should seek a final end of this menace, even if we do not hope to make one'. (UK)

Minor actinide transmutation - a waste management option

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koch, L.

1986-01-01

The incentive to recycle minor actinides results from the reduction of the long-term α-radiological risk rather than from a better utilization of the uranium resources. Nevertheless, the gain in generated electricity by minor actinide transmutation in a fast breeder reactor can compensate for the costs of their recovery and make-up into fuel elements. Different recycling options of minor actinides are discussed: transmutation in liquid metal fast breeder reactors (LMFBRs) is possible as long as plutonium is not recycled in light water reactors (LWRs). In this case a minor actinide burner with fuel of different composition has to be introduced. The development of appropriate minor actinide fuels and their properties are described. The irradiation experiments underway or planned are summarized. A review of minor actinide partitioning from the PUREX waste stream is given. From the present constraints of LMFBR technology a reduction of the long-term α-radiological risk by a factor of 200 is deduced relative to that from the direct storage of spent LWR fuel. Though the present accumulation of minor actinides is low, nuclear transmutation may be needed when nuclear energy production has grown. (orig.)

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)

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)

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

Options Study - Phase II

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

R. Wigeland; T. Taiwo; M. Todosow; W. Halsey; J. Gehin

2010-09-01

The Options Study has been conducted for the purpose of evaluating the potential of alternative integrated nuclear fuel cycle options to favorably address the issues associated with a continuing or expanding use of nuclear power in the United States. The study produced information that can be used to inform decisions identifying potential directions for research and development on such fuel cycle options. An integrated nuclear fuel cycle option is defined in this study as including all aspects of the entire nuclear fuel cycle, from obtaining natural resources for fuel to the ultimate disposal of used nuclear fuel (UNF) or radioactive wastes. Issues such as nuclear waste management, especially the increasing inventory of used nuclear fuel, the current uncertainty about used fuel disposal, and the risk of nuclear weapons proliferation have contributed to the reluctance to expand the use of nuclear power, even though it is recognized that nuclear power is a safe and reliable method of producing electricity. In this Options Study, current, evolutionary, and revolutionary nuclear energy options were all considered, including the use of uranium and thorium, and both once-through and recycle approaches. Available information has been collected and reviewed in order to evaluate the ability of an option to clearly address the challenges associated with the current implementation and potential expansion of commercial nuclear power in the United States. This Options Study is a comprehensive consideration and review of fuel cycle and technology options, including those for disposal, and is not constrained by any limitations that may be imposed by economics, technical maturity, past policy, or speculated future conditions. This Phase II report is intended to be used in conjunction with the Phase I report, and much information in that report is not repeated here, although some information has been updated to reflect recent developments. The focus in this Options Study was to

Reasons for the nuclear power option

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rotaru, I.; Glodeanu, F.; Mauna, T.

1994-01-01

Technical, economical and social reasons, strongly supporting the nuclear power option are reviewed. The history of Romanian nuclear power program is outlined with a particular focus on the Cernavoda Nuclear Power Plant project. Finally the prospective of nuclear power in Romania are assessed

Review of Nuclear Thermal Propulsion Ground Test Options

Science.gov (United States)

Coote, David J.; Power, Kevin P.; Gerrish, Harold P.; Doughty, Glen

2015-01-01

High efficiency rocket propulsion systems are essential for humanity to venture beyond the moon. Nuclear Thermal Propulsion (NTP) is a promising alternative to conventional chemical rockets with relatively high thrust and twice the efficiency of highest performing chemical propellant engines. NTP utilizes the coolant of a nuclear reactor to produce propulsive thrust. An NTP engine produces thrust by flowing hydrogen through a nuclear reactor to cool the reactor, heating the hydrogen and expelling it through a rocket nozzle. The hot gaseous hydrogen is nominally expected to be free of radioactive byproducts from the nuclear reactor; however, it has the potential to be contaminated due to off-nominal engine reactor performance. NTP ground testing is more difficult than chemical engine testing since current environmental regulations do not allow/permit open air testing of NTP as was done in the 1960's and 1970's for the Rover/NERVA program. A new and innovative approach to rocket engine ground test is required to mitigate the unique health and safety risks associated with the potential entrainment of radioactive waste from the NTP engine reactor core into the engine exhaust. Several studies have been conducted since the ROVER/NERVA program in the 1970's investigating NTP engine ground test options to understand the technical feasibility, identify technical challenges and associated risks and provide rough order of magnitude cost estimates for facility development and test operations. The options can be divided into two distinct schemes; (1) real-time filtering of the engine exhaust and its release to the environment or (2) capture and storage of engine exhaust for subsequent processing.

Proceedings of the International Conference: Nuclear option in countries with small and medium electricity grid

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1999-12-31

The conference of Croatian Nuclear Society ``Nuclear option in countries with small and medium electricity grid`` is based on experience from last conference of Croatian Nuclear Society in Opatija and on the same philosophy of serving the needs of small or medium present or future user countries. Session topics reflect some current emphasis, such as accommodation of Kyoto restriction on CO{sub 2} emission, or liability and insurance for nuclear damage. In order to achieve best safety and operational standards these countries with limited human and material resources must put greater emphasis on their rational and efficient use. Consequently the world wide developments on innovative reactors` systems and improved concepts for fuel utilisation and waste disposal are substantial interest. Appropriate selections of reactor technology, fuel cycle and decommission strategies are of paramount importance. There are very successful examples of achieving safety and good operational records, so the exchange of experience and cooperation amongst that group of countries would be of great value. As in the future of nuclear energy there will be many more countries with only small or medium nuclear systems, collecting specific experience and cooperation between the like countries will be an additional value to the now prevailing equipment supplier - national utility relationships. Here is presented nine sessions: 1. Energy Options in Countries with Small and Medium Grids 2. Reactors for Small and Medium Electricity Grids 3. Operation and Maintenance Experience 4. Deterministic Safety Analysis 5. Probabilistic Safety Analysis 6. Radioactive Waste Management and Decommissioning 7. Public Relations 8. Emergency Preparedness 9. Liability and Insurance for Nuclear Damage

Proceedings of the International Conference: Nuclear option in countries with small and medium electricity grid

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1998-01-01

The conference of Croatian Nuclear Society ''Nuclear option in countries with small and medium electricity grid'' is based on experience from last conference of Croatian Nuclear Society in Opatija and on the same philosophy of serving the needs of small or medium present or future user countries. Session topics reflect some current emphasis, such as accommodation of Kyoto restriction on CO 2 emission, or liability and insurance for nuclear damage. In order to achieve best safety and operational standards these countries with limited human and material resources must put greater emphasis on their rational and efficient use. Consequently the world wide developments on innovative reactors' systems and improved concepts for fuel utilisation and waste disposal are substantial interest. Appropriate selections of reactor technology, fuel cycle and decommission strategies are of paramount importance. There are very successful examples of achieving safety and good operational records, so the exchange of experience and cooperation amongst that group of countries would be of great value. As in the future of nuclear energy there will be many more countries with only small or medium nuclear systems, collecting specific experience and cooperation between the like countries will be an additional value to the now prevailing equipment supplier - national utility relationships. Here is presented nine sessions: 1. Energy Options in Countries with Small and Medium Grids 2. Reactors for Small and Medium Electricity Grids 3. Operation and Maintenance Experience 4. Deterministic Safety Analysis 5. Probabilistic Safety Analysis 6. Radioactive Waste Management and Decommissioning 7. Public Relations 8. Emergency Preparedness 9. Liability and Insurance for Nuclear Damage

Nuclear Waste Management Decision-Making Support with MCDA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Schwenk-Ferrero

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The paper proposes a multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA framework for a comparative evaluation of nuclear waste management strategies taking into account different local perspectives (expert and stakeholder opinions. Of note, a novel approach is taken using a multiple-criteria formulation that is methodologically adapted to tackle various conflicting criteria and a large number of expert/stakeholder groups involved in the decision-making process. The purpose is to develop a framework and to show its application to qualitative comparison and ranking of options in a hypothetical case of three waste management alternatives: interim storage at and/or away from the reactor site for the next 100 years, interim decay storage followed in midterm by disposal in a national repository, and disposal in a multinational repository. Additionally, major aspects of a decision-making aid are identified and discussed in separate paper sections dedicated to application context, decision supporting process, in particular problem structuring, objective hierarchy, performance evaluation modeling, sensitivity/robustness analyses, and interpretation of results (practical impact. The aim of the paper is to demonstrate the application of the MCDA framework developed to a generic hypothetical case and indicate how MCDA could support a decision on nuclear waste management policies in a “small” newcomer country embarking on nuclear technology in the future.

New Technological Options to Manage High Level Waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gonzalez Romero, E. M.

2007-01-01

Nuclear energy renaissance and its expansion in time and space has renewed the need for minimization technologies applicable to nuclear wastes. The minimization technologies include new power reactor concepts, Generation IV, and dedicated technologies like Partitioning and Transmutation of the actinides contained in the spent fuel. These technologies apply the principle of classification and recycling to the spent fuel to transform what at present is an environmental hazard into an energy source. the waste minimization technologies are also relevant for countries planning the reduction or phase-out of nuclear energy, as they will allow minimizing the size and number of the final waste repositories. Present estimations indicate that reductions as large as a factor 100 in the amount (radiotoxicity) of long lived nuclear waste are feasibly, with a modest increase on the final electricity cost. (Author)

Preliminary risk benefit assessment for nuclear waste disposal in space

Science.gov (United States)

Rice, E. E.; Denning, R. S.; Friedlander, A. L.; Priest, C. C.

1982-01-01

This paper describes the recent work of the authors on the evaluation of health risk benefits of space disposal of nuclear waste. The paper describes a risk model approach that has been developed to estimate the non-recoverable, cumulative, expected radionuclide release to the earth's biosphere for different options of nuclear waste disposal in space. Risk estimates for the disposal of nuclear waste in a mined geologic repository and the short- and long-term risk estimates for space disposal were developed. The results showed that the preliminary estimates of space disposal risks are low, even with the estimated uncertainty bounds. If calculated release risks for mined geologic repositories remain as low as given by the U.S. DOE, and U.S. EPA requirements continue to be met, then no additional space disposal study effort in the U.S. is warranted at this time. If risks perceived by the public are significant in the acceptance of mined geologic repositories, then consideration of space disposal as a complement to the mined geologic repository is warranted.

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

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.)

CANDLE reactor: an option for simple, safe, high nuclear proliferation resistant , small waste and efficient fuel use reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sekimoto, H.

2010-01-01

The innovative nuclear energy systems have been investigated intensively for long period in COE-INES program and CRINES activities in Tokyo Institute of Technology. Five requirements; sustainability, safety, waste, nuclear-proliferation, and economy; are considered as inevitable requirements for nuclear energy. Characteristics of small LBE cooled CANDLE fast reactor developed in this Institute are discussed for these requirements. It satisfies clearly four requirements; safety, nonproliferation and safeguard, less wastes and sustainability. For the remaining requirement, economy, a high potential to satisfy this requirement is also shown

Status of nuclear fuel reprocessing, spent fuel storage, and high-level waste disposal. Nuclear Fuel Cycle Committee, California Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission. Draft report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1978-01-01

An analysis of the current status of technologies and issues in the major portions of the back-end of the nuclear fuel cycle is presented. The discussion on nuclear fuel reprocessing covers the reprocessing requirement, reprocessing technology assessment, technology for operation of reprocessing plants, and approval of reprocessing plants. The chapter devoted to spent fuel storage covers the spent fuel storge problem, the legislative response, options for maintaining full core discharge capacity, prospective availability of alterntive storage options, and the outlook for California. The existence of a demonstrated, developed high-level waste disposal technology is reviewed. Recommendations for Federal programs on high-level waste disposal are made

Initial performance assessment of the disposal of spent nuclear fuel and high-level waste stored at Idaho National Engineering Laboratory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rechard, R.P.

1993-12-01

This performance assessment characterized plausible treatment options conceived by the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) for its spent fuel and high-level radioactive waste and then modeled the performance of the resulting waste forms in two hypothetical, deep, geologic repositories: one in bedded salt and the other in granite. The results of the performance assessment are intended to help guide INEL in its study of how to prepare wastes and spent fuel for eventual permanent disposal. This assessment was part of the Waste Management Technology Development Program designed to help the US Department of Energy develop and demonstrate the capability to dispose of its nuclear waste, as mandated by the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982. The waste forms comprised about 700 metric tons of initial heavy metal (or equivalent units) stored at the INEL: graphite spent fuel, experimental low enriched and highly enriched spent fuel, and high-level waste generated during reprocessing of some spent fuel. Five different waste treatment options were studied; in the analysis, the options and resulting waste forms were analyzed separately and in combination as five waste disposal groups. When the waste forms were studied in combination, the repository was assumed to also contain vitrified high-level waste from three DOE sites for a common basis of comparison and to simulate the impact of the INEL waste forms on a moderate-sized repository, The performance of the waste form was assessed within the context of a whole disposal system, using the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Environmental Radiation Protection Standards for Management and Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel, High-Level and Transuranic Radioactive Wastes, 40 CFR 191, promulgated in 1985. Though the waste form behavior depended upon the repository type, all current and proposed waste forms provided acceptable behavior in the salt and granite repositories

Modeling of nuclear waste disposal by rock melting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heuze, F.E.

1982-04-01

Today, the favored option for disposal of high-level nuclear wastes is their burial in mined caverns. As an alternative, the concept of deep disposal by rock melting (DRM) also has received some attention. DRM entails the injection of waste, in a cavity or borehole, 2 to 3 kilometers down in the earth crust. Granitic rocks are the prime candidate medium. The high thermal loading initially will melt the rock surrounding the waste. Following resolidification, a rock/waste matrix is formed, which should provide isolation for many years. The complex thermal, mechanical, and hydraulic aspects of DRM can be studied best by means of numerical models. The models must accommodate the coupling of the physical processes involved, and the temperature dependency of the granite properties, some of which are subject to abrupt discontinuities, during α-β phase transition and melting. This paper outlines a strategy for such complex modeling

Rock mechanics for hard rock nuclear waste repositories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heuze, F.E.

1981-09-01

The mined geologic burial of high level nuclear waste is now the favored option for disposal. The US National Waste Terminal Storage Program designed to achieve this disposal includes an extensive rock mechanics component related to the design of the wastes repositories. The plan currently considers five candidate rock types. This paper deals with the three hard rocks among them: basalt, granite, and tuff. Their behavior is governed by geological discontinuities. Salt and shale, which exhibit behavior closer to that of a continuum, are not considered here. This paper discusses both the generic rock mechanics R and D, which are required for repository design, as well as examples of projects related to hard rock waste storage. The examples include programs in basalt (Hanford/Washington), in granitic rocks (Climax/Nevada Test Site, Idaho Springs/Colorado, Pinawa/Canada, Oracle/Arizona, and Stripa/Sweden), and in tuff

New options for developing of nuclear energy using an accelerator-driven reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takahashi, Hiroshi.

1997-01-01

Fissile fuel can be produced at a high rate using an accelerator-driven Pu-fueled subcritical fast reactor. Thus, the necessity of early introduction of the fast reactor can be moderated. High reliability of the proton accelerator, which is essential to implementing an accelerator-driven reactor in the nuclear energy field can be achieved by a slight extension of the accelerator's length, with only a small economical penalty. Subcritical operation provides flexible nuclear energy options including high neutron economy producing the fuel, transmuting high-level wastes, such as minor actinides, and of converting efficiently the excess Pu and military Pu into proliferation-resistant fuel

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

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)

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)

Characterization of glass and glass ceramic nuclear waste forms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lutze, W.; Borchardt, J.; De, A.K.

1979-01-01

Characteristics of solidified nuclear waste forms, glass and glass ceramic compositions and the properties (composition, thermal stability, crystallization, phase behavior, chemical stability, mechanical stability, and radiation effects) of glasses and glass ceramics are discussed. The preparation of glass ceramics may be an optional step for proposed vitrification plants if tailored glasses are used. Glass ceramics exhibit some improved properties with respect to glasses. The overall leach resistance is similar to that of glasses. An increased leach resistance may become effective for single radionuclides being hosted in highly insoluble crystal phases mainly when higher melting temperatures are applicable in order to get more leach resistant residual glass phases. The development of glass ceramic is going on. The technological feasibility is still to be demonstrated. The potential gain of stability when using glass ceramics qualifies the material as an alternative nuclear waste form

Nuclear Materials: Reconsidering Wastes and Assets - 13193

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Michalske, T.A.

2013-01-01

The nuclear industry, both in the commercial and the government sectors, has generated large quantities of material that span the spectrum of usefulness, from highly valuable ('assets') to worthless ('wastes'). In many cases, the decision parameters are clear. Transuranic waste and high level waste, for example, have no value, and is either in a final disposition path today, or - in the case of high level waste - awaiting a policy decision about final disposition. Other materials, though discardable, have intrinsic scientific or market value that may be hidden by the complexity, hazard, or cost of recovery. An informed decision process should acknowledge the asset value, or lack of value, of the complete inventory of materials, and the structure necessary to implement the range of possible options. It is important that informed decisions are made about the asset value for the variety of nuclear materials available. For example, there is a significant quantity of spent fuel available for recycle (an estimated $4 billion value in the Savannah River Site's (SRS) L area alone); in fact, SRS has already blended down more than 300 metric tons of uranium for commercial reactor use. Over 34 metric tons of surplus plutonium is also on a path to be used as commercial fuel. There are other radiological materials that are routinely handled at the site in large quantities that should be viewed as strategically important and / or commercially viable. In some cases, these materials are irreplaceable domestically, and failure to consider their recovery could jeopardize our technological leadership or national defense. The inventories of nuclear materials at SRS that have been characterized as 'waste' include isotopes of plutonium, uranium, americium, and helium. Although planning has been performed to establish the technical and regulatory bases for their discard and disposal, recovery of these materials is both economically attractive and in the national interest. (authors)

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)

A Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis of Waste Treatment Options for Food and Biodegradable Waste Management in Japan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Micky A. Babalola

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Dealing with large-scale Food and Biodegradable Waste (FBW often results in many logistical problems and environmental impacts to be considered. These can become great hindrances when the integration of solid waste management is concerned. Extra care is needed to plan such waste disposal or treatment services and facilities, especially with respect to the ecological impact. Decision-making with regards to the sustainable use of these facilities also involves tradeoffs between a number of conflicting objectives, since increasing one benefit may decrease the others. In this study a Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA is presented to evaluate different waste management options and their applicability in Japan. The analytical process aims at selecting the most suitable waste treatment option, using pairwise comparisons conducted within a decision hierarchy that was developed through the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP. The results of this study show that anaerobic digestion should be chosen as the best FBW treatment option with regards to resource recovery. The study also presents some conditions and recommendations that can enhance the suitability of other options like incineration and composting.

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)

Volume reduction options for the management of low-level radioactive wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Clark, D.E.; Lerch, R.E.

1977-01-01

This paper examines volume reduction options that are now or soon will be available for low-level wastes. These wastes generally are in the form of combustible solids, noncombustible solids, and wet wastes (solid/liquid). Initially, the wastes are collected and stored onsite. Preconditioning may be required, e.g., sorting, shredding, and classifying the solids into combustible and noncombustible fractions. The volume of combustible solids can be reduced by compaction, incineration/pyrolysis, acid digestion, or molten salt combustion. Options for reducing the volume of noncombustible solids include compaction, size reduction and decontamination, meltdown-casting, dissolution and electropolishing. Burnable wet wastes (e.g., organic wastes) can be evaporated or combusted; nonburnable wet wastes can be treated by various evaporative or nonevaporative processes. All radioactive waste processing operations result in some equipment contamination and the production of additional radioactively contaminated wastes (secondary wastes). 23 figures

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

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.)

Technological options for management of hazardous wastes from US Department of Energy facilities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chiu, S.; Newsom, D.; Barisas, S.; Humphrey, J.; Fradkin, L.; Surles, T.

1982-08-01

This report provides comprehensive information on the technological options for management of hazardous wastes generated at facilities owned or operated by the US Department of Energy (DOE). These facilities annually generate a large quantity of wastes that could be deemed hazardous under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). Included in these wastes are liquids or solids containing polychlorinated biphenyls, pesticides, heavy metals, waste oils, spent solvents, acids, bases, carcinogens, and numerous other pollutants. Some of these wastes consist of nonnuclear hazardous chemicals; others are mixed wastes containing radioactive materials and hazardous chemicals. Nearly 20 unit processes and disposal methods are presented in this report. They were selected on the basis of their proven utility in waste management and potential applicability at DOE sites. These technological options fall into five categories: physical processes, chemical processes, waste exchange, fixation, and ultimate disposal. The options can be employed for either resource recovery, waste detoxification, volume reduction, or perpetual storage. Detailed descriptions of each technological option are presented, including information on process performance, cost, energy and environmental considerations, waste management of applications, and potential applications at DOE sites. 131 references, 25 figures, 23 tables.

Technological options for management of hazardous wastes from US Department of Energy facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chiu, S.; Newsom, D.; Barisas, S.; Humphrey, J.; Fradkin, L.; Surles, T.

1982-08-01

This report provides comprehensive information on the technological options for management of hazardous wastes generated at facilities owned or operated by the US Department of Energy (DOE). These facilities annually generate a large quantity of wastes that could be deemed hazardous under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). Included in these wastes are liquids or solids containing polychlorinated biphenyls, pesticides, heavy metals, waste oils, spent solvents, acids, bases, carcinogens, and numerous other pollutants. Some of these wastes consist of nonnuclear hazardous chemicals; others are mixed wastes containing radioactive materials and hazardous chemicals. Nearly 20 unit processes and disposal methods are presented in this report. They were selected on the basis of their proven utility in waste management and potential applicability at DOE sites. These technological options fall into five categories: physical processes, chemical processes, waste exchange, fixation, and ultimate disposal. The options can be employed for either resource recovery, waste detoxification, volume reduction, or perpetual storage. Detailed descriptions of each technological option are presented, including information on process performance, cost, energy and environmental considerations, waste management of applications, and potential applications at DOE sites. 131 references, 25 figures, 23 tables

A PC-based software package for modeling DOE mixed-waste management options

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abashian, M.S.; Carney, C.; Schum, K.

1995-02-01

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Headquarters and associated contractors have developed an IBM PC-based software package that estimates costs, schedules, and public and occupational health risks for a range of mixed-waste management options. A key application of the software package is the comparison of various waste-treatment options documented in the draft Site Treatment Plans prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Federal Facility Compliance Act of 1992. This automated Systems Analysis Methodology consists of a user interface for configuring complexwide or site-specific waste-management options; calculational algorithms for cost, schedule and risk; and user-selected graphical or tabular output of results. The mixed-waste management activities modeled in the automated Systems Analysis Methodology include waste storage, characterization, handling, transportation, treatment, and disposal. Analyses of treatment options identified in the draft Site Treatment Plans suggest potential cost and schedule savings from consolidation of proposed treatment facilities. This paper presents an overview of the automated Systems Analysis Methodology

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.)

Current situation of management of radioactive wastes in the Instituto de Engenharia Nuclear, Brazil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zidan, Priscila M.; Silva, Joao C.P.; Echternacht, Marcus V.

2000-01-01

As its own legal responsibility, Nuclear Engineering Institute - IEN has received radioactive wastes generated in Rio de Janeiro and Espirito Santo states. But, from July 1997 to June 1999, IEN was not able to receive wastes because of the lack of space in the temporary repository. Recent studies show that increasing the treatment facilities could contribute to optimize the disposal of wastes. According to National Commission of Nuclear Energy resolutions, IEN was several times requested for discarding of lightning rods containing Am-241 and Ra-226. This fact motivated IEN to look for options to make possible the receiving of wastes until a new deposit were built. A temporary place was prepared and since last July it has been receiving wastes again. In this paper it is described the current structure of radioactive waste management at IEN, objectives and goals to be reached until December 2000. (author)

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

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.

Hydrologic information needs for evaluating waste disposal options

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huff, D.D.

1983-01-01

Before waste disposal options can be assessed, an objective or set of criteria for evaluation must be established. For hydrologists, the objective is to ensure that ground water and surface water do not become contaminated beyond acceptable limits as a result of waste disposal operations. The focus here is on the information required to quantify hydrologic transport of potential contaminants from the disposal site. It is important to recognize that the composition of the waste, its physical and chemical form, and the intended disposal methods (e.g., surface spreading, incineration, shallow land burial, or interment in a deep geologic repository) must either be specified a priori or set forth as specific options for evaluation, because these factors influence the nature of the hydrologic data needs. The hydrologic information needs of major importance are given together with specific measurable variables to be determined.

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

Impact assessment of waste management options in Singapore.

Science.gov (United States)

Tan, Reginald B H; Khoo, Hsien H

2006-03-01

This paper describes the application of life cycle assessment for evaluating various waste management options in Singapore, a small-island city state. The impact assessment method by SimaPro is carried out for comparing the potential environmental impacts of waste treatment options including landfilling, incineration, recycling, and composting. The inventory data include gases and leachate from landfills, air emissions and energy recovery from incinerators, energy (and emission) savings from recycling, composting gases, and transport pollution. The impact assessment results for climate change, acidification, and ecotoxicity show that the incineration of materials imposes considerable harm to both human health and the environment, especially for the burning of plastics, paper/cardboard, and ferrous metals. The results also show that, although some amount of energy can be derived from the incineration of wastes, these benefits are outweighed by the air pollution (heavy metals and dioxins/furans) that incinerators produce. For Singapore, landfill gases and leachate generate minimal environmental damage because of the nation's policy to landfill only 10% of the total disposed wastes. Land transportation and separation of waste materials also pose minimal environmental damage. However, sea transportation to the landfill could contribute significantly to acidification because of the emissions of sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides from barges. The composting of horticultural wastes hardly imposes any environmental damage. Out of all the waste strategies, the recycling of wastes offers the best solution for environmental protection and improved human health for the nation. Significant emission savings can be realized through recycling.

Nuclear waste/nuclear power: their futures are linked

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Skoblar, L.T.

1981-01-01

This paper briefly reviews current aspects of radioactive waste disposal techniques and transportation. Addressed are high-level and low-level radioactive wastes, interim spent fuel storage and transportation. The waste options being explored by DOE are listed. Problems of public acceptance will be more difficult to overcome than technical problems

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

Melt processed crystalline ceramic waste forms for advanced nuclear fuel cycles: CRP T21027 1813: Processing technologies for high level waste, formulation of matrices and characterization of waste forms, Task 17208: Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Amoroso, J. W. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL); Marra, J. C. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL)

2015-08-26

A multi-phase ceramic waste form is being developed at the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) for treatment of secondary waste streams generated by reprocessing commercial spent nuclear. The envisioned waste stream contains a mixture of transition, alkali, alkaline earth, and lanthanide metals. Ceramic waste forms are tailored (engineered) to incorporate waste components as part of their crystal structure based on knowledge from naturally found minerals containing radioactive and non-radioactive species similar to the radionuclides of concern in wastes from fuel reprocessing. The ability to tailor ceramics to mimic naturally occurring crystals substantiates the long term stability of such crystals (ceramics) over geologic timescales of interest for nuclear waste immobilization [1]. A durable multi-phase ceramic waste form tailored to incorporate all the waste components has the potential to broaden the available disposal options and thus minimize the storage and disposal costs associated with aqueous reprocessing. This report summarizes results from three years of work on the IAEA Coordinated Research Project on “Processing technologies for high level waste, formulation of matrices and characterization of waste forms” (T21027), and specific task “Melt Processed Crystalline Ceramic Waste Forms for Advanced Nuclear Fuel Cycles” (17208).

Melt processed crystalline ceramic waste forms for advanced nuclear fuel cycles: CRP T21027 1813: Processing technologies for high level waste, formulation of matrices and characterization of waste forms, task 17208: Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Amoroso, J. W. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL); Marra, J. C. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL)

2015-08-26

A multi-phase ceramic waste form is being developed at the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) for treatment of secondary waste streams generated by reprocessing commercial spent nuclear. The envisioned waste stream contains a mixture of transition, alkali, alkaline earth, and lanthanide metals. Ceramic waste forms are tailored (engineered) to incorporate waste components as part of their crystal structure based on knowledge from naturally found minerals containing radioactive and non-radioactive species similar to the radionuclides of concern in wastes from fuel reprocessing. The ability to tailor ceramics to mimic naturally occurring crystals substantiates the long term stability of such crystals (ceramics) over geologic timescales of interest for nuclear waste immobilization [1]. A durable multi-phase ceramic waste form tailored to incorporate all the waste components has the potential to broaden the available disposal options and thus minimize the storage and disposal costs associated with aqueous reprocessing. This report summarizes results from three years of work on the IAEA Coordinated Research Project on “Processing technologies for high level waste, formulation of matrices and characterization of waste forms” (T21027), and specific task “Melt Processed Crystalline Ceramic Waste Forms for Advanced Nuclear Fuel Cycles” (17208).

Emergy analysis of the recycling options for construction and demolition waste.

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Fang; Shen, Li-yin; Li, Qi-ming

2011-12-01

Construction and demolition (C&D) waste is becoming a major contributor to environmental pollution. In Shanghai, China, the quantity of C&D waste is 2.11E+07 t/yr, which accounts for 45% of the total quantity of solid waste. There has been a growing promotion of recycling C&D waste as an effective way to solve this waste problem. However, the evaluation of the efficiency of recycling C&D waste as a potential source of resources is largely based on traditional economic analysis. The economic analysis emphasizes money instead of the harmony between economic benefit and environmental effects. There is a need for a new strategic approach to investigate the efficiency of recycling C&D waste to achieve the integration between economic, social and environmental effects. Emergy theory can be employed to analyze different recycling options for C&D waste. With reference to the Chinese construction industry, this paper demonstrates that the close-loop recycling option is better than the open-loop recycling option for C&D waste in terms of the integration of social, environmental and sustainable aspects. To evaluate different technology solutions for C&D waste recycling, the emergy theory and method is not limited to a cost-benefit balance but can include economic, social, environmental and sustainable effects. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Modelling approach to LILW-SL repository safety evaluation for different waste packing options

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perko, Janez; Mallants, Dirk; Volckaert, Geert; Towler, George; Egan, Mike; Virsek, Sandi; Hertl, Bojan

2007-01-01

The key objective of the work described here was to support the identification of a preferred disposal concept and packaging option for low and short-lived intermediate level waste (LILW-SL). The emphasis of the assessment, conducted on behalf of the Slovenian radioactive waste management agency (ARAO), was the consideration of several waste treatment and packaging options in an attempt to identify optimised containment characteristics that would result in safe disposal, taking into account the cost-benefit of alternative safety measures. Waste streams for which alternative treatment and packaging solutions were developed and evaluated include decommissioning waste and NPP operational wastes, including drums with unconditioned ion exchange resins in over-packed tube type containers (TTCs). For decommissioning wastes, the disposal options under consideration were either direct disposal of loose pieces grouted into a vault or use of high integrity containers (HIC). In relation to operational wastes, three main options were foreseen. The first is over-packing of resin containing TTCs grouted into high integrity containers, the second option is complete treatment with hydration, neutralization, and cementation of the dry resins into drums grouted into high integrity containers and the third is direct disposal of TTCs into high integrity containers without additional treatment. The long-term safety of radioactive waste repositories is usually demonstrated with the support of a safety assessment. This normally includes modelling of radionuclide release from a multi-barrier near-surface or deep repository to the geosphere and biosphere. For the current work, performance assessment models were developed for each combination of siting option, repository design and waste packaging option. Modelling of releases from the engineered containment system (the 'near-field') was undertaken using the AMBER code. Detailed unsaturated water flow modelling was undertaken using the

A Post Closure Safety Assessment for Radioactive Wastes from Advanced nuclear fuel Cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kang, Chul Hyung; Hwang, Yong Soo

2010-01-01

KAERI has developed the KIEP-21 (Korean, Innovative, Environmentally Friendly, and Proliferation Resistant System for the 21st Century). It is an advanced nuclear fuel cycle option with a pyro-process and a GEN-IV SFR. A pyro-process consists of two distinctive processes, an electrolytic reduction process and an electro-refining and winning process. When the pyro-process is applied, it generates five streams of wastes. To compare pyro-process advantage over the direct disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF), the PWR SNF of the 45,000 MWD burn-up has been assumed. A safety assessment model for pyro-process wastes and representative results are presented in this report

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

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

Nuclear energy - an option for Croatian sustainable development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mikulicic, V.; Skanata, D.; Simic, Z.

1996-01-01

The uncertainties of growth in Croatian future energy, particularly electricity demand, together with growing environmental considerations and protection constraints, are such that Croatia needs to have flexibility to respond by having the option of expanding the nuclear sector. The paper deals with nuclear energy as an option for croatian sustainable economic development. The conclusion is that there is a necessity for extended use of nuclear energy in Croatia because most certainly nuclear energy can provide energy necessary to sustain progress. (author)

Municipal solid waste options : integrating organics management and residual disposal treatment : executive summary

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cant, M. (comp.) [Totten Sims Hubicki Associates Ltd., Calgary, AB (Canada); Van der Werf, P. [2cg Inc., Edmonton, AB (Canada); Kelleher, M. [Kelleher Environmental, Toronto, ON (Canada); Merriman, D. [MacViro Consultants, Markham, ON (Canada); Fitcher, K. [Gartner Lee Ltd., Toronto, ON (Canada); MacDonald, N. [CH2M Hill Engineering Ltd., Calgary, AB (Canada)

2006-04-15

The Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) Options Report explored different MSW management options for 3 community sizes: 20,000, 80,000 and 200,0000 people. It was released at a time when many communities were developing waste management plans to cost-effectively reduce environmental impacts and conserve landfill capacity. The purpose of this report was to provide a greater understanding on the environmental, social, economic, energy recovery/utilization and greenhouse gas (GHG) considerations of MSW management. The report also demonstrated the interrelationships between the management of organics and residuals. It was based on information from existing waste diversion and organics management options and emerging residual treatment technology options. The following organics management and residual treatment disposal options were evaluated: composting; anaerobic digestion; sanitary landfills; bioreactor landfills; and thermal treatment. Composting was examined with reference to both source separated organics (SSO) and mixed waste composting. SSO refers to the separation of materials suitable for composting solid waste from households, while mixed waste composting refers to the manual or mechanical removal of recyclable material from the waste, including compost. The composting process was reviewed along with available technologies such as non-reactor windrow; aerated static pile; reactor enclosed channel; and, container tunnel. An evaluation of SSO and mixed waste composting was then presented in terms of environmental, social, financial and GHG impacts. refs., tabs., figs.

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

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

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)

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

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.

Buying time: Franchising hazardous and nuclear waste cleanup

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hale, D.R. [Dept. of Energy, Washington, DC (United States)

1997-05-01

This paper describes a private franchise approach to long-term custodial care, monitoring and eventual cleanup of hazardous and nuclear waste sites. The franchise concept could be applied to Superfund sites, decommissioning commercial reactors and safeguarding their wastes and to Department of Energy sites. Privatization would reduce costs by enforcing efficient operations and capital investments during the containment period, by providing incentives for successful innovation and by sustaining containment until the cleanup`s net benefits exceed its costs. The franchise system would also permit local governments and citizens to demand and pay for more risk reduction than provided by the federal government. In principle, they would have the option of taking over site management. The major political drawback of the idea is that it requires society to be explicit about what it is willing to pay for now to protect current and future generations. Hazardous waste sites are enduring legacies of energy development. Abandoned mines, closed refineries, underground storage tanks and nuclear facilities have often become threats to human health and water quality. The policy of the United States government is that such sites should quickly be made nonpolluting and safe for unrestricted use. That is, the policy of the United States is prompt cleanup. Orphaned commercial hazardous waste sites are addressed by the US Environmental Protection Agency`s Superfund program. 17 refs., 2 tabs.

Advanced Reactor Technology Options for Utilization and Transmutation of Actinides in Spent Nuclear Fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2009-09-01

Renewed interest in the potential of nuclear energy to contribute to a sustainable worldwide energy mix is strengthening the IAEA's statutory role in fostering the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, in particular the need for effective exchanges of information and collaborative research and technology development among Member States on advanced nuclear power technologies (Articles III-A.1 and III-A.3). The major challenges facing the long term development of nuclear energy as a part of the world's energy mix are improvement of the economic competitiveness, meeting increasingly stringent safety requirements, adhering to the criteria of sustainable development, and public acceptability. The concern linked to the long life of many of the radioisotopes generated from fission has led to increased R and D efforts to develop a technology aimed at reducing the amount of long lived radioactive waste through transmutation in fission reactors or accelerator driven hybrids. In recent years, in various countries and at an international level, more and more studies have been carried out on advanced and innovative waste management strategies (i.e. actinide separation and elimination). Within the framework of the Project on Technology Advances in Fast Reactors and Accelerator Driven Systems (http://www.iaea.org/inisnkm/nkm/aws/fnss/index.html), the IAEA initiated a number of activities on utilization of plutonium and transmutation of long lived radioactive waste, accelerator driven systems, thorium fuel options, innovative nuclear reactors and fuel cycles, non-conventional nuclear energy systems, and fusion/fission hybrids. These activities are implemented under the guidance and with the support of the IAEA Nuclear Energy Department's Technical Working Group on Fast Reactors (TWG-FR). This publication compiles the analyses and findings of the Coordinated Research Project (CRP) on Studies of Advanced Reactor Technology Options for Effective Incineration of Radioactive Waste (2002

Ghana and the nuclear power option

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fletcher, J.J.; Ennison, I.

2000-01-01

For every country, dependable and continuous supply of electricity is a prerequisite for ensuring sustainable development. In Ghana, Ghanaians have currently known the consequences of disrupted and inadequate supply of electricity. Globally too the call of ''Agenda 21'' of the Rio de Janeiro Conference (Earth Summit) to engage in the development and supply of electricity in a sustainable manner imposes on us certain limitations in our choice of energy option to utilise. Taking into account the high economic and population growths with the subsequent increase in demand for electricity in the 21st century, the fact that Ghana has no coal and imports oil which will be in dwindling supply in the 21st century and that the total hydro supply in Ghana will not be sufficient for our electricity demand in the next century, this paper proposes that Ghana starts now to plan for the introduction of the nuclear option so that in the long term we may have in place an environmentally friendly, dependable and reliable supply of energy. The paper also highlights the economic competitiveness of nuclear power over the other energy options in Ghana and addresses the apprehension and misunderstanding surrounding the nuclear power option. (author)

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)

Study on partitioning and transmutation as a possible option for spent fuel management within a nuclear phase-out scenario

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fazion, C.; Rineiski, A.; Salvatores, M.; Schwenk-Ferrero, A.; Romanello, V.; Vezzoni, B.; Gabrielli, F. [Karlsruhe Institute of Technology - KIT, Hermann-von-Helmholtz Platz 1, 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen (Germany)

2013-07-01

Most Partitioning and Transmutation (PT) studies implicitly presuppose the continuous use of nuclear energy. In this case the development of new facilities or the modification of the fuel cycle can be justified in the long-term as an important feature in order to improve sustainability by minimizing radioactive waste and reducing the burden at waste disposal. In the case of a country with nuclear energy phase-out policy, the PT option might have also an important role for what concerns the final disposal strategies of the spent fuel. In this work three selected scenarios are analyzed in order to assess the impact of PT implementation in a nuclear energy phase out option. The scenarios are: -) Scenario 1: Identification of Research/Development activities needs for a technological development of PT while postponing the decision of PT implementation; -) Scenario 2: Isolated application of PT in a phase-out context; and -) Scenario 3: Implementation of PT in a European context. In order to facilitate the discrimination among the 3 scenarios, a number of figures of indicators have been evaluated for each scenario. The selected indicators are: the mass of High Level Waste (HLW), Uranium inventory, thermal output of HLW, Radiotoxicity, Fuel cycle secondary waste associated to the PT operation, and Facility capacity/number requirements. The reduction, due to PT implementation, of high level wastes masses and their associated volumes can be significant. For what concerns the thermal output and radiotoxicity a significant impact can be also expected. However, when assessing these two indicators the contribution coming from already vitrified waste should also not be neglected. Moreover, an increase of secondary waste inventory is also expected. On the contrary, the increase of fission product inventories due to the operation of the transmutation system has a relatively limited impact on the fuel cycle.

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

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.

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

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…

NEAMS Nuclear Waste Management IPSC: evaluation and selection of tools for the quality environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bouchard, Julie F.; Stubblefield, William Anthony; Vigil, Dena M.; Edwards, Harold Carter

2011-01-01

The objective of the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy Advanced Modeling and Simulation Nuclear Waste Management Integrated Performance and Safety Codes (NEAMS Nuclear Waste Management IPSC) is to provide an integrated suite of computational modeling and simulation (M and S) capabilities to quantitatively assess the long-term performance of waste forms in the engineered and geologic environments of a radioactive-waste storage facility or disposal repository. These M and S capabilities are to be managed, verified, and validated within the NEAMS Nuclear Waste Management IPSC quality environment. M and S capabilities and the supporting analysis workflow and simulation data management tools will be distributed to end-users from this same quality environment. The same analysis workflow and simulation data management tools that are to be distributed to end-users will be used for verification and validation (V and V) activities within the quality environment. This strategic decision reduces the number of tools to be supported, and increases the quality of tools distributed to end users due to rigorous use by V and V activities. This report documents an evaluation of the needs, options, and tools selected for the NEAMS Nuclear Waste Management IPSC quality environment. The objective of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Nuclear Energy Advanced Modeling and Simulation Nuclear Waste Management Integrated Performance and Safety Codes (NEAMS Nuclear Waste Management IPSC) program element is to provide an integrated suite of computational modeling and simulation (M and S) capabilities to assess quantitatively the long-term performance of waste forms in the engineered and geologic environments of a radioactive-waste storage facility or disposal repository. This objective will be fulfilled by acquiring and developing M and S capabilities, and establishing a defensible level of confidence in these M and S capabilities. The foundation for assessing the

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…

Immobilized low-level waste disposal options configuration study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mitchell, D.E.

1995-02-01

This report compiles information that supports the eventual conceptual and definitive design of a disposal facility for immobilized low-level waste. The report includes the results of a joint Westinghouse/Fluor Daniel Inc. evaluation of trade-offs for glass manufacturing and product (waste form) disposal. Though recommendations for the preferred manufacturing and disposal option for low-level waste are outside the scope of this document, relative ranking as applied to facility complexity, safety, remote operation concepts and ease of retrieval are addressed

Swedish nuclear waste efforts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rydberg, J.

1981-09-01

After the introduction of a law prohibiting the start-up of any new nuclear power plant until the utility had shown that the waste produced by the plant could be taken care of in an absolutely safe way, the Swedish nuclear utilities in December 1976 embarked on the Nuclear Fuel Safety Project, which in November 1977 presented a first report, Handling of Spent Nuclear Fuel and Final Storage of Vitrified Waste (KBS-I), and in November 1978 a second report, Handling and Final Storage of Unreprocessed Spent Nuclear Fuel (KBS II). These summary reports were supported by 120 technical reports prepared by 450 experts. The project engaged 70 private and governmental institutions at a total cost of US $15 million. The KBS-I and KBS-II reports are summarized in this document, as are also continued waste research efforts carried out by KBS, SKBF, PRAV, ASEA and other Swedish organizations. The KBS reports describe all steps (except reprocessing) in handling chain from removal from a reactor of spent fuel elements until their radioactive waste products are finally disposed of, in canisters, in an underground granite depository. The KBS concept relies on engineered multibarrier systems in combination with final storage in thoroughly investigated stable geologic formations. This report also briefly describes other activities carried out by the nuclear industry, namely, the construction of a central storage facility for spent fuel elements (to be in operation by 1985), a repository for reactor waste (to be in operation by 1988), and an intermediate storage facility for vitrified high-level waste (to be in operation by 1990). The R and D activities are updated to September 1981

An innovative way of thinking nuclear waste management - Neutron physics of a reactor directly operating on SNF.

Science.gov (United States)

Merk, Bruno; Litskevich, Dzianis; Bankhead, Mark; Taylor, Richard J

2017-01-01

A solution for the nuclear waste problem is the key challenge for an extensive use of nuclear reactors as a major carbon free, sustainable, and applied highly reliable energy source. Partitioning and Transmutation (P&T) promises a solution for improved waste management. Current strategies rely on systems designed in the 60's for the massive production of plutonium. We propose an innovative strategic development plan based on invention and innovation described with the concept of developments in s-curves identifying the current boundary conditions, and the evolvable objectives. This leads to the ultimate, universal vision for energy production characterized by minimal use of resources and production of waste, while being economically affordable and safe, secure and reliable in operation. This vision is transformed into a mission for a disruptive development of the future nuclear energy system operated by burning of existing spent nuclear fuel (SNF) without prior reprocessing. This highly innovative approach fulfils the sustainability goals and creates new options for P&T. A proof on the feasibility from neutronic point of view is given demonstrating sufficient breeding of fissile material from the inserted SNF. The system does neither require new resources nor produce additional waste, thus it provides a highly sustainable option for a future nuclear system fulfilling the requests of P&T as side effect. In addition, this nuclear system provides enhanced resistance against misuse of Pu and a significantly reduced fuel cycle. However, the new system requires a demand driven rethinking of the separation process to be efficient.

An innovative way of thinking nuclear waste management - Neutron physics of a reactor directly operating on SNF.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bruno Merk

Full Text Available A solution for the nuclear waste problem is the key challenge for an extensive use of nuclear reactors as a major carbon free, sustainable, and applied highly reliable energy source. Partitioning and Transmutation (P&T promises a solution for improved waste management. Current strategies rely on systems designed in the 60's for the massive production of plutonium. We propose an innovative strategic development plan based on invention and innovation described with the concept of developments in s-curves identifying the current boundary conditions, and the evolvable objectives. This leads to the ultimate, universal vision for energy production characterized by minimal use of resources and production of waste, while being economically affordable and safe, secure and reliable in operation. This vision is transformed into a mission for a disruptive development of the future nuclear energy system operated by burning of existing spent nuclear fuel (SNF without prior reprocessing. This highly innovative approach fulfils the sustainability goals and creates new options for P&T. A proof on the feasibility from neutronic point of view is given demonstrating sufficient breeding of fissile material from the inserted SNF. The system does neither require new resources nor produce additional waste, thus it provides a highly sustainable option for a future nuclear system fulfilling the requests of P&T as side effect. In addition, this nuclear system provides enhanced resistance against misuse of Pu and a significantly reduced fuel cycle. However, the new system requires a demand driven rethinking of the separation process to be efficient.

The political challenges of nuclear waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andren, Mats; Strandberg, Urban

2005-01-01

This anthology is made up of nine essays on the nuclear waste issue, both its political, social and technical aspects, with the aim to create a platform for debate and planning of research. The contributions are titled: 'From clean energy to dangerous waste - the regulatory management of nuclear power in the Swedish welfare society. An economic-historic review , 'The course of the high-level waste into the national political arena', 'The technical principles behind the Swedish repository for spent fuels', 'Waste, legitimacy and local citizenship', 'Nuclear issues in societal planning', 'Usefulness or riddance - transmutation or just disposal?', 'National nuclear fuel policy in an European Union?', 'Conclusion - the challenges of the nuclear waste issue', 'Final words - about the need for critical debate and multi-disciplinary research'

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)

Nuclear Fuel Cycle Options Catalog: FY16 Improvements and Additions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Price, Laura L. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Barela, Amanda Crystal [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Schetnan, Richard Reed [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Walkow, Walter M. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

2016-08-31

The United States Department of Energy, Office of Nuclear Energy, Fuel Cycle Technology Program sponsors nuclear fuel cycle research and development. As part of its Fuel Cycle Options campaign, the DOE has established the Nuclear Fuel Cycle Options Catalog. The catalog is intended for use by the Fuel Cycle Technologies Program in planning its research and development activities and disseminating information regarding nuclear energy to interested parties. The purpose of this report is to document the improvements and additions that have been made to the Nuclear Fuel Cycle Options Catalog in the 2016 fiscal year.

Nuclear Fuel Cycle Options Catalog FY15 Improvements and Additions.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Price, Laura L. [Sandia National Laboratories (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Barela, Amanda Crystal [Sandia National Laboratories (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Schetnan, Richard Reed [Sandia National Laboratories (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Walkow, Walter M. [Sandia National Laboratories (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

2015-11-01

The United States Department of Energy, Office of Nuclear Energy, Fuel Cycle Technology Program sponsors nuclear fuel cycle research and development. As part of its Fuel Cycle Options campaign, the DOE has established the Nuclear Fuel Cycle Options Catalog. The catalog is intended for use by the Fuel Cycle Technologies Program in planning its research and development activities and disseminating information regarding nuclear energy to interested parties. The purpose of this report is to document the improvements and additions that have been made to the Nuclear Fuel Cycle Options Catalog in the 2015 fiscal year.

High level nuclear wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lopez Perez, B.

1987-01-01

The transformations involved in the nuclear fuels during the burn-up at the power nuclear reactors for burn-up levels of 33.000 MWd/th are considered. Graphs and data on the radioactivity variation with the cooling time and heat power of the irradiated fuel are presented. Likewise, the cycle of the fuel in light water reactors is presented and the alternatives for the nuclear waste management are discussed. A brief description of the management of the spent fuel as a high level nuclear waste is shown, explaining the reprocessing and giving data about the fission products and their radioactivities, which must be considered on the vitrification processes. On the final storage of the nuclear waste into depth geological burials, both alternatives are coincident. The countries supporting the reprocessing are indicated and the Spanish programm defined in the Plan Energetico Nacional (PEN) is shortly reviewed. (author) 8 figs., 4 tabs

Waste disposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Neerdael, B.; Marivoet, J.; Put, M.; Verstricht, J.; Van Iseghem, P.; Buyens, M.

1998-01-01

The primary mission of the Waste Disposal programme at the Belgian Nuclear Research Centre SCK/CEN is to propose, develop, and assess solutions for the safe disposal of radioactive waste. In Belgium, deep geological burial in clay is the primary option for the disposal of High-Level Waste and spent nuclear fuel. The main achievements during 1997 in the following domains are described: performance assessment, characterization of the geosphere, characterization of the waste, migration processes, underground infrastructure

Initial performance assessment of the disposal of spent nuclear fuel and high-level waste stored at Idaho National Engineering Laboratory. Volume 2: Appendices

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rechard, R.P. [ed.

1993-12-01

This performance assessment characterized plausible treatment options conceived by the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) for its spent fuel and high-level radioactive waste and then modeled the performance of the resulting waste forms in two hypothetical, deep, geologic repositories: one in bedded salt and the other in granite. The results of the performance assessment are intended to help guide INEL in its study of how to prepare wastes and spent fuel for eventual permanent disposal. This assessment was part of the Waste Management Technology Development Program designed to help the US Department of Energy develop and demonstrate the capability to dispose of its nuclear waste, as mandated by the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982. The waste forms comprised about 700 metric tons of initial heavy metal (or equivalent units) stored at the INEL: graphite spent fuel, experimental low enriched and highly enriched spent fuel, and high-level waste generated during reprocessing of some spent fuel. Five different waste treatment options were studied; in the analysis, the options and resulting waste forms were analyzed separately and in combination as five waste disposal groups. When the waste forms were studied in combination, the repository was assumed to also contain vitrified high-level waste from three DOE sites for a common basis of comparison and to simulate the impact of the INEL waste forms on a moderate-sized repository, The performance of the waste form was assessed within the context of a whole disposal system, using the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency`s Environmental Radiation Protection Standards for Management and Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel, High-Level and Transuranic Radioactive Wastes, 40 CFR 191, promulgated in 1985. Though the waste form behavior depended upon the repository type, all current and proposed waste forms provided acceptable behavior in the salt and granite repositories.

Environmental and economic analyses of waste disposal options for traditional markets in Indonesia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aye, Lu; Widjaya, E.R.

2006-01-01

Waste from traditional markets in Indonesia is the second largest stream of municipal solid waste after household waste. It has a higher organic fraction and may have greater potential to be managed on a business scale compared to household wastes. The attributed reason is that in general the wastes generated from traditional markets are more uniform, more concentrated and less hazardous than waste from other sources. This paper presents the results of environmental and economic assessments to compare the options available for traditional market waste disposal in Indonesia. The options compared were composting in labour intensive plants, composting in a centralised plant that utilised a simple wheel loader, centralised biogas production and landfill for electricity production. The current open dumping practice was included as the baseline case. A life cycle assessment (LCA) was used for environmental analysis. All options compared have lower environmental impacts than the current practice of open dumping. The biogas production option has the lowest environmental impacts. A cost-benefit analysis, which considered greenhouse gas savings, was used for the economic assessment. It was found that composting at a centralised plant is the most economically feasible option under the present Indonesian conditions. The approach reported in this study could be applied for 'a pre-feasibility first cut comparison' that includes environmental aspects in a decision-making framework for developing countries even though European emission factors were used

Nuclear waste and nuclear ethics. Societal and ethical aspects of retrievable storage of nuclear waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Damveld, H.; Van den Berg, R.J.

2000-01-01

The aim of the literature study on the title subject is to provide information to researchers, engineers, decision makers, administrators, and the public in the Netherlands on the subject of retrievable storage of nuclear waste, mainly from nuclear power plants. Conclusions and recommendations are formulated with respect to retrievability and ethics, sustainability, risk assessment, information transfer, environmental impacts, and discussions on radioactive waste storage. 170 refs

Alternatives for conversion to solid interim waste forms of the radioactive liquid high-level wastes stored at the Western New York Nuclear Service Center

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vogler, S.; Trevorrow, L.E.; Ziegler, A.A.; Steindler, M.J.

1981-08-01

Techniques for isolating and solidifying the nuclear wastes in the storage tanks at the Western New York Nuclear Service Center plant have been examined. One technique involves evaporating the water and forming a molten salt containing the precipitated sludge. The salt is allowed to solidify and is stored in canisters until processing into a final waste form is to be done. Other techniques involve calcining the waste material, then agglomerating the calcine with sodium silicate to reduce its dispersibility. This option can also involve a prior separation and decontamination of the supernatant salt. The sludge and all resins containing fission-product activity are then calcined together. The technique of removing the water and solidifying the salt may be the simplest method for removing the waste from the West Valley Plant

Methods for the minimization of radioactive waste from decontamination and decommissioning of nuclear facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2001-01-01

The objective of this report is to provide Member States and their decision makers (ranging from regulators, strategists, planners and designers, to operators) with relevant information on opportunities for minimizing radioactive wastes arising from the D and D of nuclear facilities. This will allow waste minimization options to be properly planned and assessed as part of national, site and plant waste management policies. This objective will be achieved by: reviewing the sources and characteristics of radioactive materials arising from D and D activities; reviewing waste minimization principles and current practical applications, together with regulatory, technical, financial and political factors influencing waste minimization practices; and reviewing current trends in improving waste minimization practices during D and D

Nuclear Materials: Reconsidering Wastes and Assets - 13193

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Michalske, T.A. [Savannah River National Laboratory (United States)

2013-07-01

The nuclear industry, both in the commercial and the government sectors, has generated large quantities of material that span the spectrum of usefulness, from highly valuable ('assets') to worthless ('wastes'). In many cases, the decision parameters are clear. Transuranic waste and high level waste, for example, have no value, and is either in a final disposition path today, or - in the case of high level waste - awaiting a policy decision about final disposition. Other materials, though discardable, have intrinsic scientific or market value that may be hidden by the complexity, hazard, or cost of recovery. An informed decision process should acknowledge the asset value, or lack of value, of the complete inventory of materials, and the structure necessary to implement the range of possible options. It is important that informed decisions are made about the asset value for the variety of nuclear materials available. For example, there is a significant quantity of spent fuel available for recycle (an estimated $4 billion value in the Savannah River Site's (SRS) L area alone); in fact, SRS has already blended down more than 300 metric tons of uranium for commercial reactor use. Over 34 metric tons of surplus plutonium is also on a path to be used as commercial fuel. There are other radiological materials that are routinely handled at the site in large quantities that should be viewed as strategically important and / or commercially viable. In some cases, these materials are irreplaceable domestically, and failure to consider their recovery could jeopardize our technological leadership or national defense. The inventories of nuclear materials at SRS that have been characterized as 'waste' include isotopes of plutonium, uranium, americium, and helium. Although planning has been performed to establish the technical and regulatory bases for their discard and disposal, recovery of these materials is both economically attractive and in the

Safety and performance assessment of geologic disposal systems for nuclear wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peltonen, E.

1987-01-01

This thesis presents a methodology for the safety and performance assesment of final disposal of nuclear wastes into crystalline bedrock. The applicability of radiation protection objectives is discussed, as well as the goals of the assessment in the various repository system development phases. Due consideration is given to the description of the pertinent analysis methods and to the comprehensive model system. The methodology has been applied to assess the acceptability of the basic disposal concepts and to study the possibilities for the optimization of protection. Furthermore, performance of different components in the multiple barrier disposal systems is estimated. The waste types dealt with are low- and intermediate-level waste as well as high-level spent nuclear fuel from a nuclear power plant. In addition, an option of high-level vitrified waste from reprocessing of spent fuel is taken into account. On the basis of the various analyses carried out it can be concluded that the disposal of different nuclear wastes in the Finnish bedrock in properly designed repositories meets the radiation protection objectives with good confidence. In addition, the studies indicate that the safety margins are considerable. This is due to the fact that the overall performance of the multiple barrier disposal systems analysed is not sensitive to possible unfavourable changes in barrier properties. From the optimization of protection point of view it can be concluded that there is no need to develop more effective repository designs than those analysed in this thesis. In fact, the results indicate that the most sophisticated designs have already gone beyond an optimal level of safety

Volume reduction options for the management of low-level radioactive wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Clark, D.E.; Lerch, R.E.

1979-01-01

Volume reduction options that are now or soon will be available for low-level wastes are examined. These wastes generally are in the form of combustible solids, noncombustible solids, and wet wastes (solid/liquid). Initially, the wastes are collected and stored onsite. Preconditioning may be required, e.g., sorting, shredding, and classifying the solids into combustible and noncombustible fractions. The volume of combustible solids can be reduced by compaction, incineration/pyrolysis, acid digestion, or molten salt combustion. Options for reducing the volume of noncombustible solids include compaction, size reduction and decontamination, meltdown-casting, dissolution and electropolishing. Burnable wet wastes (e.g., organic wastes) can be evaporated or combusted; nonburnable wet wastes can be treated by various evaporative or nonevaporative processes. All radioactive waste processing operations result in some equipment contamination and the production of additional radioactively contaminated wastes (secondary wastes). The additional waste quantities must be considered in evaluating performance and overall volume reduction factors for the various systems. In the selection of an optimum waste management plan for a given facility, other important factors (e.g., relative stability of the waste product form) should be considered along with the savings accrued due to volume reduction

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

Solidification of radioactive liquid wastes, Treatment options for spent resins and concentrates - 16405

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roth, Andreas

2009-01-01

of a final repository site, the built-up of additional volume has to be considered as very critical. Moreover, corrosive effects on cemented drums during long-term interim storage at the surface have raised doubts about the long-term stability of such waste products. In order to avoid such disadvantages solidification methods have been improved in order to get a well-defined product with a better load factor of wastes in the matrix. In a complete different approach, other technologies solidify the liquid radioactive wastes without adding of any inactive material by means of drying. Different installations are available for spent resin or concentrate drying. Such methods produce suitable waste products for final disposal and achieve additional volume reduction factors for final disposal. On the other hand, design of the treatment plant as well as the subsequent drum handling and interim storage plants have to consider the high concentration of radioactivity in the final waste product and have to deal with appropriate packages, remote controlled operations and shielding. The presentation will briefly introduce examples for the mentioned treatment options and report on results achieved with it in nuclear installations with WH (Westinghouse)/ HANSA (Hansa Projekt Anlagentechnik GmbH) technologies. Further on, the paper will discuss the evaluation of the advantages and disadvantages of the treatment options relative to the characteristics of the wastes and the environment to be considered (availability of repository, existing or assumed repository, acceptance criteria etc.). In conclusion such self assessment regarding priorities, background and goals is essential for the selection of a suitable approach. - The industry can address the various specific needs with proven technologies and services; - Westinghouse/ Hansa Projekt Anlagentechnik have served various customers around the globe under different regulatory environment with successful equipment deliveries and

Nuclear waste management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rodger, W.A.

1985-01-01

Most of our activities have always produced waste products of one sort or another. Huxley gives a humorous account of wastes throughout antiquity. So it should come as no surprise that some radioactive materials end up as waste products requiring management and disposal. Public perception of nuclear waste hazards places them much higher on the ''worry scale'' than is justified by the actual hazard involved. While the public perception of these hazards appears to revolve mostly around high-level wastes, there are several other categories of wastes that must also be controlled and managed. The major sources of radioactive wastes are discussed

Nuclear waste. Storage at Vaalputs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1984-01-01

The Vaalputs nuclear waste dump site in Namaqualand is likely to be used to store used fuel from Koeberg, as well as low and intermediate waste. It is argued that Vaalputs is the most suitable site in the world for the disposal of nuclear waste. The Vaalputs site is sparsely populated, there are no mineral deposits of any value, the agricultural potential is minimal. It is a typical semi-desert area. Geologically it lend itself towards the ground-storage of used nuclear fuel

Proposed radiological protection criteria for waste disposal options

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hill, M.D.

1981-01-01

Criteria which are based solely on the consequences of releases of radionuclides, that is doses to man, are inappropriate for decisions on the acceptability of many of the disposal options for solid wastes. The risks associated with disposal options in which the intention is to isolate wastes from the biosphere for any length of time have two major components: the probability that a release of radionuclides will occur and the probability that subsequent radiation doses will give rise to deleterious effects. It is therefore necessary to develop criteria which embody the basic radiological principle of keeping risks to acceptable levels and take account of both components of risk. In this paper proposed criteria are described and some of the implications of adopting these criteria are discussed. (author)

77 FR 19278 - Informational Meeting on Nuclear Fuel Cycle Options

Science.gov (United States)

2012-03-30

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Informational Meeting on Nuclear Fuel Cycle Options AGENCY: Office of Fuel... activities leading to a comprehensive evaluation and screening of nuclear fuel cycle options in 2013. At this... fuel cycle options developed for the evaluation and screening provides a comprehensive representation...

Options Assessment Report: Treatment of Nitrate Salt Waste at Los Alamos National Laboratory

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Robinson, Bruce Alan [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Stevens, Patrice Ann [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

2015-12-17

This report documents the methodology used to select a method of treatment for the remediated nitrate salt (RNS) and unremediated nitrate salt (UNS) waste containers at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). The method selected should treat the containerized waste in a manner that renders the waste safe and suitable for transport and final disposal in the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) repository, under specifications listed in the WIPP Waste Acceptance Criteria (DOE/CBFO, 2013). LANL recognizes that the results must be thoroughly vetted with the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) and that a modification to the LANL Hazardous Waste Facility Permit is a necessary step before implementation of this or any treatment option. Likewise, facility readiness and safety basis approvals must be received from the Department of Energy (DOE). This report presents LANL’s preferred option, and the documentation of the process for reaching the recommended treatment option for RNS and UNS waste, and is presented for consideration by NMED and DOE.

Options assessment report: Treatment of nitrate salt waste at Los Alamos National Laboratory

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Robinson, Bruce Alan [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Stevens, Patrice Ann [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

2015-09-16

This report documents the methodology used to select a method of treatment for the remediated nitrate salt (RNS) and unremediated nitrate salt (UNS) waste containers at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). The method selected should treat the containerized waste in a manner that renders the waste safe and suitable for transport and final disposal in the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) repository, under specifications listed in the WIPP Waste Acceptance Criteria (DOE/CBFO, 2013). LANL recognized that the results must be thoroughly vetted with the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) and the a modification to the LANL Hazardous Waste Facility Permit is a necessary step before implementation of this or any treatment option. Likewise, facility readiness and safety basis approvals must be received from the Department of Energy (DOE). This report presents LANL's preferred option, and the documentation of the process for reaching the recommended treatment option for RNS and UNS waste, and is presented for consideration by NMED and DOE.

Nuclear waste management, reactor decommisioning, nuclear liability and public attitudes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Green, R.E.

1982-01-01

This paper deals with several issues that are frequently raised by the public in any discussion of nuclear energy, and explores some aspects of public attitudes towards nuclear-related activities. The characteristics of the three types of waste associated with the nuclear fuel cycle, i.e. mine/mill tailings, reactor wastes and nuclear fuel wastes, are defined, and the methods currently being proposed for their safe handling and disposal are outlined. The activities associated with reactor decommissioning are also described, as well as the Canadian approach to nuclear liability. The costs associated with nuclear waste management, reactor decommissioning and nuclear liability are also discussed. Finally, the issue of public attitudes towards nuclear energy is addressed. It is concluded that a simple and comprehensive information program is needed to overcome many of the misconceptions that exist about nuclear energy and to provide the public with a more balanced information base on which to make decisions

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.)

Nuclear waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-01-01

Each year, nuclear power plants, businesses, hospitals, and universities generate more than 1 million cubic feet of hardware, rags, paper, liquid waste, and protective clothing that have been contaminated with radioactivity. While most of this waste has been disposed of in facilities in Nevada, South Carolina, and Washington state, recent legislation made the states responsible - either individually, or through groups of states called compacts - for developing new disposal facilities. This paper discusses the states' progress and problems in meeting facility development milestones in the law, federal and state efforts to resolve issues related to mixed waste (low-level waste that also contains hazardous chemicals) and waste with very low levels of radioactivity, and the Department of Energy's progress in discharging the federal government's responsibility under the law to manage the most hazardous low-level waste

Safeguards on nuclear waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Crawford, D.W.

1995-01-01

Safeguards and security policies within the Department of Energy (DOE) have been implemented in a graded fashion for the protection, control and accountability of nuclear materials. This graded philosophy has meant that safeguards on low-equity nuclear materials, typically considered of low diversion attractiveness such as waste, has been relegated to minimal controls. This philosophy has been and remains today an acceptable approach for the planning and implementation of safeguards on this material. Nuclear waste protection policy and guidance have been issued due to a lack of clear policy and guidance on the identification and implementation of safeguards controls on waste. However, there are issues related to safe-guarding waste that need to be clarified. These issues primarily stem from increased budgetary and resource pressures to remove materials from safeguards. Finally, there may be an unclear understanding, as to the scope and content of vulnerability assessments required prior to terminating safeguards on waste and other discardable materials and where the authority should lie within the Department for making decisions regarding safeguards termination. This paper examines these issues and the technical basis for Departmental policy for terminating safeguards on waste

Managing nuclear waste from power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Keeney, R.L.; Winterfeldt, D. von

1994-01-01

National strategies to manage nuclear waste from commercial nuclear power plants are analyzed and compared. The current strategy is to try to operate a repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, to dispose storage at a centralized facility or next to nuclear power plants. If either of these is pursued now, the analysis assumes that a repository will be built in 2100 for waste not subsequently put to use. The analysis treats various uncertainties: whether a repository at Yucca Mountain would be licensed, possible theft and misuse of the waste, innovations in repository design and waste management, the potential availability of a cancer cure by 2100, and possible future uses of nuclear waste. The objectives used to compare alternatives include concerns for health and safety, environmental and socioeconomic impacts, and direct economic costs, as well as equity concerns (geographical, intergenerational, and procedural), indirect economic costs, as well as equity concerns (geographical, intergenerational, and procedural), indirect economic costs to electricity ratepayers, federal government responsibility to manage nuclear waste, and implications of theft and misuse of nuclear waste. The analysis shows that currently building an underground repository at Yucca Mountain is inferior to other available strategies by the equivalent of $10,000 million to $50,000 million. This strongly suggests that this policy should be reconsidered. A more detailed analysis using the framework presented would help to define a new national policy to manage nuclear waste. 36 refs., 3 figs., 17 tabs

The safety and environmental impact of nuclear wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luo Shanggeng

2001-01-01

Radioactive matters were discovered in 1989. Exploitation and using of nuclear energy and nuclear technologies bring mankind huge benefits, but the disposal of radioactive wastes is becoming one of the safety and environmental problems. The author describes six issues related to nuclear wastes. They are as follows: (1) The origin and characteristics of the nuclear wastes; (2) The principles of management of nuclear wastes established by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as well as the Chinese '40 words principles' and the major tasks of Chinese nuclear waste management; (3) The treatment and disposal technologies of nuclear wastes and the emphasis on new technologies, waste minimization and exemption and clean release; (4) The safety management of spent radiation sources including technical and administrative measures; (5) The safety management of spent nuclear fuel and the emphasis on high level radioactive wastes to be safety disposed of; (6) The environmental impact of nuclear waste. The author takes the Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant and the Daya bay Nuclear Power Plant I, China, as two examples to prove that nuclear wastes can be safely controlled and managed to ensure environmental safety. The Chinese north-west disposal land of nuclear wastes under operation recently is also discussed. It is believed that the suggested disposal land can ensure the isolation of radioactive wastes and the surrounding environment according to the present standards. The north-west disposal land and the Beilong disposal land, Guangdong province, China, are built according to the international standard and advanced technologies

Back-end of the nuclear fuel cycle. A comparison of the direct disposal and reprocessing options

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Allan, C.J.; Baumgartner, P.

1997-01-01

Based on the need to address public concerns, the need to ensure long-term safety and an ethical concern for future generations, many countries are developing technology to dispose of nuclear fuel waste. The waste substances in used fuel can be disposed of either by directly disposing of the used fuel assemblies themselves, or by disposing of the long-lived waste from fuel reprocessing. The basic thesis of this paper is that the direct disposal of either used fuel or of the long-lived heat-generating and non-heat generating waste that arise from reprocessing is technically and economically feasible and that both options will meet the fundamental objectives of protecting human health and the environment. Decisions about whether, or when, to reprocess used fuel, or about whether to dispose of used fuel directly, are not fundamentally waste management issues. (author)

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)

Nuclear waste solutions

Science.gov (United States)

Walker, Darrel D.; Ebra, Martha A.

1987-01-01

High efficiency removal of technetium values from a nuclear waste stream is achieved by addition to the waste stream of a precipitant contributing tetraphenylphosphonium cation, such that a substantial portion of the technetium values are precipitated as an insoluble pertechnetate salt.

An innovative way of thinking nuclear waste management – Neutron physics of a reactor directly operating on SNF

Science.gov (United States)

Litskevich, Dzianis; Bankhead, Mark; Taylor, Richard J.

2017-01-01

A solution for the nuclear waste problem is the key challenge for an extensive use of nuclear reactors as a major carbon free, sustainable, and applied highly reliable energy source. Partitioning and Transmutation (P&T) promises a solution for improved waste management. Current strategies rely on systems designed in the 60’s for the massive production of plutonium. We propose an innovative strategic development plan based on invention and innovation described with the concept of developments in s-curves identifying the current boundary conditions, and the evolvable objectives. This leads to the ultimate, universal vision for energy production characterized by minimal use of resources and production of waste, while being economically affordable and safe, secure and reliable in operation. This vision is transformed into a mission for a disruptive development of the future nuclear energy system operated by burning of existing spent nuclear fuel (SNF) without prior reprocessing. This highly innovative approach fulfils the sustainability goals and creates new options for P&T. A proof on the feasibility from neutronic point of view is given demonstrating sufficient breeding of fissile material from the inserted SNF. The system does neither require new resources nor produce additional waste, thus it provides a highly sustainable option for a future nuclear system fulfilling the requests of P&T as side effect. In addition, this nuclear system provides enhanced resistance against misuse of Pu and a significantly reduced fuel cycle. However, the new system requires a demand driven rethinking of the separation process to be efficient. PMID:28749952

Nuclear Power Options Viability Study. Volume 4. Bibliography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Trauger, D B; White, J D; Sims, J W [eds.

1986-09-01

Documents in the Nuclear Power Options Viability Study (NPOVS) bibliography are classified under one of four headings or categories as follows: nuclear options; light water reactors; liquid metal reactors; and high temperature reactors. The collection and selection of these documents, beginning early in 1984 and continuing through March of 1986, was carried out in support of the study's objective: to explore the viabilities of several nuclear electric power generation options for commercial deployment in the United States between 2000 and 2010. There are approximately 550 articles, papers, reports, and books in the bibliography that have been selected from some 2000 surveyed. The citations have been made computer accessible to facilitate rapid on-line retrieval by keyword, author, corporate author, title, journal name, or document number.

Nuclear Power Options Viability Study. Volume 4. Bibliography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trauger, D.B.; White, J.D.; Sims, J.W.

1986-09-01

Documents in the Nuclear Power Options Viability Study (NPOVS) bibliography are classified under one of four headings or categories as follows: nuclear options; light water reactors; liquid metal reactors; and high temperature reactors. The collection and selection of these documents, beginning early in 1984 and continuing through March of 1986, was carried out in support of the study's objective: to explore the viabilities of several nuclear electric power generation options for commercial deployment in the United States between 2000 and 2010. There are approximately 550 articles, papers, reports, and books in the bibliography that have been selected from some 2000 surveyed. The citations have been made computer accessible to facilitate rapid on-line retrieval by keyword, author, corporate author, title, journal name, or document number

Sedimentary modelling and nuclear-waste disposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van Loon, A.J.

1982-01-01

Nuclear energy is an important source of energy. Recently a slow down is experienced in its growth rate, due to the following factors: a) the supposed shortage of uranium; b) the fear for the consequences of nuclear accident, and c) the problem of nuclear wastes. Two types of waste are distinguished: a) fission products and actinides, and b) operational waste. The United States have started a program that must lead in 1989 to the first final storage of such waste in salt. Open-pit mines and oil-well drilling are discussed as possible solutions for operational waste storage

Legal aspects of nuclear waste management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hofmann, H.

1981-01-01

The result of the study is that the nuclear waste management defined by sect. 9a of the Atomic Energy Law cannot be realized without violating the constitution or other relevant laws. This evaluation of the nuclear waste management concept is based on an in-depth discussion of technological difficulties involved in nuclear waste management, and on the examination of all existing rules and regulations (Radiation Protection Ordinance, intermediate storage and burial, and reprocessing) at home and abroad, which lead to legal aspects of nuclear waste management which, according to established German law, are to be characterized as being 'unclear'. The author demonstrates especially the lack of precision in law of the term 'radioactive waste'. He points out that a sufficient regulation on the dismantlement of nuclear reactors is missing and he sets forth uncertainties relating to administrative law which are involved in bringing in private companies for burial as it is provided by law. The concluding constitutional assessment of the nuclear waste management regulation of the Atomic Energy Law shows that sect. 9a of the Atomic Energy Law does not meet completely constitutional requirements. (orig./HP) [de

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

Sustainablility of nuclear and non-nuclear energy supply options in Europe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kirchsteiger, C.

2007-01-01

In the course of the current discussion on promoting the economical competitiveness of sustainable energy systems, especially renewable and non-CO 2 -intensive ones, interest in nuclear energy has re-awakened in Europe (''nuclear renaissance''). This paper starts with presenting the concept of energy sustainability and its main elements. Next, an overview of the main results of sustainability assessments for different energy supply options (nuclear, fossil, renewables) covering full energy chains is given. Nuclear energy's typical strong and weak points are identified from a sustainability point of view. On the basis of these results, it is argued that more emphasis on nuclear energy's (very good) total cost performance, i.e. incl. externalities, rather than on its (very good) contribution to combating climate change would stronger benefit its ''renaissance''. Finally, the development of an overall EU-wide framework is proposed in order to assess the sustainability performance of alternative energy supply options, incl. nuclear, across their lifecycle and thus support decision making on developing sustainable energy mixes. (orig.)

Science, society, and America's nuclear waste: Unit 4, The waste management system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-01-01

This is unit 4 (The Waste Management System) 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

Nuclear waste disposal in space

Science.gov (United States)

Burns, R. E.; Causey, W. E.; Galloway, W. E.; Nelson, R. W.

1978-01-01

Work on nuclear waste disposal in space conducted by the George C. Marshall Space Flight Center, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and contractors are reported. From the aggregate studies, it is concluded that space disposal of nuclear waste is technically feasible.

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.

Waste management considerations in nuclear facility decommissioning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elder, H.K.; Murphy, E.S.

1981-01-01

Decommissioning of nuclear facilities involves the management of significant quantities of radioactive waste. This paper summarizes information on volumes of waste requiring disposal and waste management costs developed in a series of decommissioning studies performed for the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission by the Pacific Northwest Laboratory. These studies indicate that waste management is an important cost factor in the decommissioning of nuclear facilities. Alternatives for managing decommissioning wastes are defined and recommendations are made for improvements in waste management practices

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)

Public attitudes about nuclear waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bisconti, A.S.

1991-01-01

There is general agreement that nuclear waste is an important national issue. It certainly is important to the industry. congress, too, gives high priority to nuclear waste disposal. In a recent pool by Reichman, Karten, Sword, 300 congressional staffers named nuclear waste disposal as the top nuclear energy-related legislative issue for Congress to address. In this paper most of the data the author discusses are from national polls that statistically represent the opinions of all American adults all across the country, as well as polls conducted in Nevada that statistically represent the opinions of all adults in that state. All the polls were by Cambridge Reports and have a margin of error of ± 3%

Attitudes to nuclear waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sjoeberg, L.; Drottz-Sjoeberg, B.M.

1993-08-01

This is a study of risk perception and attitudes with regard to nuclear waste. Two data sets are reported. In the first set, data were obtained from a survey of the general population, using an extensive questionnaire. The second set constituted a follow-up 7 years later, with a limited number of questions. The data showed that people considered the topic of nuclear waste risks to be very important and that they were not convinced that the technological problems had been solved. Experts associated with government agencies were moderately trusted, while those employed by the nuclear industry were much distrusted by some respondents, and very much trusted by others. Moral obligations to future generations were stressed. A large portion (more than 50 per cent) of the variances in risk perception could be explained by attitude to nuclear power, general risk sensitivity and trust in expertise. Most background variables, except gender, had little influence on risk perception and attitudes. The follow-up study showed that the attitude to nuclear power had become more positive over time, but that people still doubted that the problems of nuclear waste disposal had been solved. 49 refs

The wastes of nuclear fission

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Doubre, H.

2005-01-01

In this paper the author presents the problems of the radioactive wastes generated by the nuclear fission. The first part devoted to the fission phenomenon explains the incident neutron energy and the target nuclei role. The second part devoted to the nuclear wastes sources presents the production of wastes upstream of the reactors, in the reactors and why these wastes are dangerous. The third part discusses the radioactive wastes management in France (classification, laws). The last part details the associated research programs: the radionuclides separation, the disposal, the underground storage, the transmutation and the thorium cycle. (A.L.B.)

Recycle and reuse of materials and components from waste streams of nuclear fuel cycle facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2000-01-01

All nuclear fuel cycle processes utilize a wide range of equipment and materials to produce the final products they are designed for. However, as at any other industrial facility, during operation of the nuclear fuel cycle facilities, apart from the main products some byproducts, spent materials and waste are generated. A lot of these materials, byproducts or some components of waste have a potential value and may be recycled within the original process or reused outside either directly or after appropriate treatment. The issue of recycle and reuse of valuable material is important for all industries including the nuclear fuel cycle. The level of different materials involvement and opportunities for their recycle and reuse in nuclear industry are different at different stages of nuclear fuel cycle activity, generally increasing from the front end to the back end processes and decommissioning. Minimization of waste arisings and the practice of recycle and reuse can improve process economics and can minimize the potential environmental impact. Recognizing the importance of this subject, the International Atomic Energy Agency initiated the preparation of this report aiming to review and summarize the information on the existing recycling and reuse practice for both radioactive and non-radioactive components of waste streams at nuclear fuel cycle facilities. This report analyses the existing options, approaches and developments in recycle and reuse in nuclear industry

The management of used nuclear fuel and high level nuclear waste in Europe. A report for the Lovar Foundation for the Protection of the Environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saunders, P.; Clark, S.; Francis, D.

1994-01-01

purpose of this report is to provide an explanation of the options available for the management of used nuclear fuels and highly radioactive waste. It is hoped that these explanations are presented in an unbiased way that is understandable to readers without a scientific background. A bibliography is, however, provided for those who wish to check the contents of the report, where possible, in peer reviewed literature sources. It has not been part of our remit to draw environmental conclusions on the content of the report, or to criticise the policies of governments or argue for or against any particular way of dealing with nuclear waste. The full report is divided into five chapters and three appendices. Following the introduction, Chapter 2 contains a description of the origins, characteristics and regulation of used nuclear fuel; the options for used fuel management are examined in Chapter 3; Chapter 4 contains a description of the environmental consequences of used fuel waste management; and Chapter 5 provides a comparison of the problems associates with radioactive waste compared with those of chemically toxic waste. The appendices contain detail on the properties of radioactive materials, radiation protection, and the ways in which European countries have dealt with spent fuel and high-level radioactive waste

Calcine Waste Storage at the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

M. D. Staiger

1999-06-01

A potential option in the program for long-term management of high-level wastes at the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC), at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory, calls for retrieving calcine waste and converting it to a more stable and less dispersible form. An inventory of calcine produced during the period December 1963 to May 1999 has been prepared based on calciner run, solids storage facilities operating, and miscellaneous operational information, which gives the range of chemical compositions of calcine waste stored at INTEC. Information researched includes calciner startup data, waste solution analyses and volumes calcined, calciner operating schedules, solids storage bin capacities, calcine storage bin distributor systems, and solids storage bin design and temperature monitoring records. Unique information on calcine solids storage facilities design of potential interest to remote retrieval operators is given.

Uranium Resource Availability Analysis of Four Nuclear Fuel Cycle Options

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Youn, S. R.; Lee, S. H.; Jeong, M. S.; Kim, S. K.; Ko, W. I.

2013-01-01

Making the national policy regarding nuclear fuel cycle option, the policy should be established in ways that nuclear power generation can be maintained through the evaluation on the basis of the following aspects. To establish the national policy regarding nuclear fuel cycle option, that must begin with identification of a fuel cycle option that can be best suited for the country, and the evaluation work for that should be proceeded. Like all the policy decision, however, a certain nuclear fuel cycle option cannot be superior in all aspects of sustain ability, environment-friendliness, proliferation-resistance, economics, technologies, which make the comparison of the fuel cycle options very complicated. For such a purpose, this paper set up four different fuel cycle of nuclear power generation considering 2nd Comprehensive Nuclear Energy Promotion Plan(CNEPP), and analyzed material flow and features in steady state of all four of the fuel cycle options. As a result of an analysis on material flow of each nuclear fuel cycle, it was analyzed that Pyro-SFR recycling is most effective on U resource availability among four fuel cycle option. As shown in Figure 3, OT cycle required the most amount of U and Pyro-SFR recycle consumed the least amount of U. DUPIC recycling, PWR-MOX recycling, and Pyro-SFR recycling fuel cycle appeared to consumed 8.2%, 12.4%, 39.6% decreased amount of uranium respectively compared to OT cycle. Considering spent fuel can be recycled as potential energy resources, U and TRU taken up to be 96% is efficiently used. That is, application period of limited uranium natural resources can be extended, and it brings a great influence on stable use of nuclear energy

Economical viability of the nuclear option in Mexico

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ortiz, R.; Alonso, G.; Sanchez, J.

2006-01-01

Due to the high volatility of the gas prices and the concern for CO2 emissions, the nuclear option seems to be an option that needs to consider in a electricity expansion portfolio. In this paper a levelized electricity cost analysis is performed to compared different scenarios of electricity generation using combined cycles by using gas and nuclear power stations. The scenarios comprises different discount rates for the investment that goes from 5% to 12%, gas prices from 4.44 USD/mmBTU to 7 USD/mmBTU and overnight cost for Nuclear Power Plants from 1200 USD/kW to 1600 USD/kW. The overall cash flow including investment is analyzed during the whole life of the power plants to test the convenience of the best option in the long run

Nuclear waste management programme 2003 for the Loviisa and Olkiluoto nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2002-09-01

A joint company Posiva Oy founded by nuclear energy producing Teollisuuden Voima Oy (TVO) and Fortum Power and Heat Oy coordinates the research work of the companies on nuclear waste management in Finland. In Posiva's Nuclear Waste Management Programme 2003, an account of the nuclear waste management measures of TVO and Fortum is given as required by the sections 74 and 75 of the Finnish Nuclear Energy Degree. At first, nuclear waste management situation and the programme of activities are reported. The nuclear waste management research for the year 2003 and more generally for the years 2003-2007 is presented

Review of available options for low level radioactive waste disposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-07-01

The scope of this report includes: descriptions of the options available; identification of important elements in the selection process; discussion and assessment of the relevance of the various elements for the different options; cost data indicating the relative financial importance of different parts of the systems and the general cost level of a disposal facility. An overview of the types of wastes included in low level waste categories and an approach to the LLW management system is presented. A generic description of the disposal options available and the main activities involved in implementing the different options are described. Detailed descriptions and cost information on low level waste disposal facility concepts in a number of Member States are given. Conclusions from the report are summarized. In addition, this report provides a commentary on various aspects of land disposal, based on experience gained by IAEA Member States. The document is intended to complement other related IAEA publications on LLW management and disposal. It also demonstrates that alternatives solutions for the final disposal of LLW are available and can be safely operated but the choice of an appropriate solution must be a matter for national strategy taking into account local conditions. 18 refs, 16 figs, 1 tab

Science, society, and America's nuclear waste: Unit 4, The waste management system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-01-01

This is the teachers guide to unit 4, (The Waste Management System), of 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

Nuclear waste in Seibersdorf

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1988-01-01

Forschungszentrum Seibersdorf (short: Seibersdorf) is the company operating the research reactor ASTRA. A controversy arose, initied by the Greens and some newspapers on the fact that the waste conditioning plant in Seibersdorf treated not only Austrian waste (from hospitals etc.) but also a large quantity of ion exchange resins from the Caorso nuclear power station, against payment. The author argues that it is untenable that an Austrian institution (peaceful use of nuclear energy in Austria being abandoned by a referendum) should support nuclear power abroad. There is also a short survey on nuclear waste conditioning and an account of an exchange of letters, between the Seibersdorf and the Ecology Institute on the claim of being an 'independent measuring institution' of food, soil, etc. samples. The author argues that the Ecology Institute is the sole independent institution in Austria because it is part of the ecology- and antinuclear movement, whereas Seibersdorf is dependent on the state. (qui)

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

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

Final disposal of nuclear waste. An investigated issue

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Palmu, J.; Nikula, A.

1996-01-01

Since 1978, the nuclear power companies have co-ordinated joint studies of nuclear waste disposal through the Nuclear Waste Commission of Finnish Power Companies. The studies are done primarily to gather basic data, with a view to implementing nuclear waste management in a safe, economical and timely way. The power companies' research, development and design work with regard to nuclear waste has been progressing according to the schedule set by the Government, and Finland has received international recognition for its advanced nuclear waste management programme. Last year, the nuclear power companies set up a joint company, Posiva Oy, to manage the final disposal of spent uranium fuel. (orig.)

Plasma filtering techniques for nuclear waste remediation.

Science.gov (United States)

Gueroult, Renaud; Hobbs, David T; Fisch, Nathaniel J

2015-10-30

Nuclear waste cleanup is challenged by the handling of feed stocks that are both unknown and complex. Plasma filtering, operating on dissociated elements, offers advantages over chemical methods in processing such wastes. The costs incurred by plasma mass filtering for nuclear waste pretreatment, before ultimate disposal, are similar to those for chemical pretreatment. However, significant savings might be achieved in minimizing the waste mass. This advantage may be realized over a large range of chemical waste compositions, thereby addressing the heterogeneity of legacy nuclear waste. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

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

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

Final report, Task 4: options for on-site management of Nuclear Fuel Services, Inc. high level waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1978-01-01

Two on-site management options for handling the NFS high-level waste were analyzed: in-tank cement solidification and perpetual tank storage of the liquid waste. The cost of converting the 8D4 plus 8D2 waste to a cementitious solid, including mixing, grout preparation, and transfer to tank 8D1 would require $3,651,000; the cost of cooling the solidified solid for 15 years, plus the cost of filling the rest of the tank space and annulus with grout, plus the cost of minimum surveillance are $10,002,000. Modification of tank 8D2 would be required; prior to transfer of the waste, tank 8D1 would also be modified for cooling of the grout mass. Estimated costs of perpetual tank storage (replacing the existing neutralized waste tank after 10 years, then transferring contents at 50-y intervals for 1000 y, with replacement of ventilation system and auxiliaries at 30-y intervals) would require a sinking fund of $11,039,000. The acidic 8D4 waste would be transferred at 50-y intervals. The sinking fund requirements are sensitive to the difference between the interest rate and the escalation rate, and also to the time assumed from present to the first tank replacement

The German act on the reorganisation of responsibility in nuclear waste management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raetzke, Christian

2017-01-01

The author discussed the Draft on the Act in the Reorganisation of Responsibility in Nuclear Waste Management in atw 12 (2016). Now, amendments are discussed, which resulted from the legislative procedure until today's draft. Significant additions affect the authorisation for the conclusion of a public-law contract between the Federal Government and the nuclear power plant operators, the deadline for the payment of the basic amount, and the option for the operation of the interim storage facilities for a transitional period by the operators on behalf of the federal company. Since the adoption of the draft act, it has become clear that the nuclear power plant operators will pay the risk premium. This will fulfil the full logic of the new system. It has also become known, that the public law contract is now ready for signing. According to the author, the act will bring a final arrangement for financing nuclear waste disposal. However, adjustment can not be avoided in practice. The concrete implementation will be a exciting topic in many ways.

The disposal of Canada's nuclear fuel waste: engineering for a disposal facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Simmons, G.R.; Baumgartner, P.

1994-01-01

This report presents some general considerations for engineering a nuclear fuel waste disposal facility, alternative disposal-vault concepts and arrangements, and a conceptual design of a used-fuel disposal centre that was used to assess the technical feasibility, costs and potential effects of disposal. The general considerations and alternative disposal-vault arrangements are presented to show that options are available to allow the design to be adapted to actual site conditions. The conceptual design for a used-fuel disposal centre includes descriptions of the two major components of the disposal facility, the Used-Fuel Packaging Plant and the disposal vault; the ancillary facilities and services needed to carry out the operations are also identified. The development of the disposal facility, its operation, its decommissioning, and the reclamation of the site are discussed. The costs, labour requirements and schedules used to assess socioeconomic effects and that may be used to assess the cost burden of waste disposal to the consumer of nuclear energy are estimated. The Canadian Nuclear Fuel Waste Management Program is funded jointly by AECL and Ontario Hydro under the auspices of the CANDU Owners Group. (author)

Should high-level nuclear waste be disposed of at geographically dispersed sites?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bassett, G.W. Jr.

1992-01-01

Consideration of the technical feasibility of Yucca Mountain in Nevada as the site for a high-level nuclear waste repository has led to an intense debate regarding the economic, social, and political impacts of the repository. Impediments to the siting process mean that the nuclear waste problem is being resolved by adhering to the status quo, in which nuclear waste is stored at scattered sites near major population centers. To assess the merits of alternative siting strategies--including both the permanent repository and the status quo- we consider the variables that would be included in a model designed to select (1) the optimal number of disposal facilities, (2) the types of facilities (e.g., permanent repository or monitored retrievable facility), and (3) the geographic location of storage sites. The objective function in the model is an all-inclusive measure of social cost. The intent of the exercise is not to demonstrate the superiority of any single disposal strategy; uncertainties preclude a conclusive proof of optimality for any of the disposal options. Instead, we want to assess the sensitivity of a variety of proposed solutions to variations in the physical, economic, political, and social variables that influence a siting strategy

Aspects of nuclear waste management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moberg, L.

1990-10-01

Six areas of concern in nuclear waste management have been dealt with in a four-year Nordic research programme. They include work in two international projects, Hydrocoin dealing with modelling of groundwater flow in crystalline rock, and Biomovs, concerned with biosphere models. Geologic questions of importance to the prediction of future behaviour are examined. Waste quantities from the decommissioning of nuclear power stations are estimated, and total amounts of waste to be transported in the Nordic countries are evaluated. Waste amounts from a hypothetical reactor accident are also calculated. (au)

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)

A plan for Soviet nuclear waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stone, R.

1992-01-01

If environmentalist forces are successful, the Russian government may soon establish the country's first comprehensive program for dealing with nuclear waste. Later this month the Russian parliament, back from its summer recess, is expected to begin considering a bill on this topic. A draft copy indicates that Russia is starting with the basics: It orders the government to develop a means of insulting waste from the environment, to form a national waste processing program, and to create a registry for tracking where spent atomic fuel is stored or buried. The bill comes on the heels of a November 1991 decree by Russian President Boris Yeltsin to step up efforts to deal with nuclear waste issues and to create a government registry of nuclear waste disposal sites by 1 January 1993. The former Soviet Union has come under fire from environmentalists for dumping low- and intermediate-level nuclear wastes in the Arctic Ocean and for improperly storing waste at sites in the southern Urals and Belarus. Adding to the bill's urgency is the fact that Russia is considering sites for underground repositories for high-level waste at Tomsk, Krasnoyarsk, Chelyabinsk, and on the Kola Peninsula

Radioactive waste management from nuclear facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2005-06-01

This report has been published as a NSA (Nuclear Systems Association, Japan) commentary series, No. 13, and documents the present status on management of radioactive wastes produced from nuclear facilities in Japan and other countries as well. Risks for radiation accidents coming from radioactive waste disposal and storage together with risks for reactor accidents from nuclear power plants are now causing public anxiety. This commentary concerns among all high-level radioactive waste management from nuclear fuel cycle facilities, with including radioactive wastes from research institutes or hospitals. Also included is wastes produced from reactor decommissioning. For low-level radioactive wastes, the wastes is reduced in volume, solidified, and removed to the sites of storage depending on their radioactivities. For high-level radioactive wastes, some ten thousand years must be necessary before the radioactivity decays to the natural level and protection against seismic or volcanic activities, and terrorist attacks is unavoidable for final disposals. This inevitably results in underground disposal at least 300 m below the ground. Various proposals for the disposal and management for this and their evaluation techniques are described in the present document. (S. Ohno)

Chemical risks from nuclear waste repositories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Persson, L.

1988-01-01

Studies concerning the chemical risks of nuclear waste are reviewed. The radiological toxicity of the material is of primary concern but the potential nonradiological toxicity should not be overlooked as the chemotoxic substances may reach the biosphere from a nuclear waste repository. In the report is concluded that the possible chemotoxic effects of a repository for nuclear waste should be studied as a part of the formal risk assessment of the disposal concept. (author)

State of nuclear waste management of German nuclear power stations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1983-01-01

The waste management of nuclear power plants in the Federal Republic of Germany is today prevailing in the public discussion. Objections raised in this connection, e.g. that the nuclear waste management has been omitted from the development of peaceful utilization of nuclear energy or remained insolved, are frequently accepted without examination, and partly spread as facts. This is, however, not the truth: From the outset in 1955 the development of nuclear technology in the Federal Republic of Germany has included investigations of the problems of reprocessing and non-detrimental disposal of radioactive products, and the results have been compiled in a national nuclear waste management concept. (orig.) [de

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

Review of international radioactive waste management based on a report of the International Nuclear Societies Council (INSC)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hardy, C.

2003-01-01

The INSC is an international group of 42 nuclear societies with the aim of promoting the peaceful uses of nuclear science and technology. It has a number of working groups addressing important issues and publishes the reports of these groups. The latest report of the working group on radioactive waste management was published in August 2002. The main aim of the report is to provide the latest information on radioactive waste management among the member societies and particularly to provide access to internet resources on this topic including access to the radioactive waste management organisations in the several countries.The major topics addressed in the report are: what is radioactive waste management?; where does radioactive waste come from?; principles and objectives; management strategies - options and ethics; current worldwide status; international cooperation; and international instruments, including treaties and legislation

An analysis of international nuclear fuel supply options

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, J'tia Patrice

As the global demand for energy grows, many nations are considering developing or increasing nuclear capacity as a viable, long-term power source. To assess the possible expansion of nuclear power and the intricate relationships---which cover the range of economics, security, and material supply and demand---between established and aspirant nuclear generating entities requires models and system analysis tools that integrate all aspects of the nuclear enterprise. Computational tools and methods now exist across diverse research areas, such as operations research and nuclear engineering, to develop such a tool. This dissertation aims to develop methodologies and employ and expand on existing sources to develop a multipurpose tool to analyze international nuclear fuel supply options. The dissertation is comprised of two distinct components: the development of the Material, Economics, and Proliferation Assessment Tool (MEPAT), and analysis of fuel cycle scenarios using the tool. Development of MEPAT is aimed for unrestricted distribution and therefore uses publicly available and open-source codes in its development when possible. MEPAT is built using the Powersim Studio platform that is widely used in systems analysis. MEPAT development is divided into three modules focusing on: material movement; nonproliferation; and economics. The material movement module tracks material quantity in each process of the fuel cycle and in each nuclear program with respect to ownership, location and composition. The material movement module builds on techniques employed by fuel cycle models such as the Verifiable Fuel Cycle Simulation (VISION) code developed at the Idaho National Laboratory under the Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative (AFCI) for the analysis of domestic fuel cycle. Material movement parameters such as lending and reactor preference, as well as fuel cycle parameters such as process times and material factors are user-specified through a Microsoft Excel(c) data spreadsheet

French programs for advanced waste management options

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Salvatores, M [CEA-DRN (France); Schapira, J P [CNRS-IN2P3 (France); Mouney, H [EDF-DE (France)

1997-11-01

Several organisms (CEA, CNRS, EdF, etc.) are cooperating in France on Accelerator-Driven Systems (ADS). The major motivation is the investigation of innovative options for the radioactive waste management. The paper describes the ongoing activities and future directions of this cooperative effort in the field of ADS. 11 refs, 3 figs.

Assessment of Used Nuclear Fuel Inventory Relative to Disposition Options

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wagner, John C.; Peterson, Joshua L.; Mueller, Don; Gehin, Jess C.; Worrall, Andrew; Taiwo, Temitope; Nutt, Mark; Williamson, Mark A.; Todosow, Mike; Wigeland, Roald; Halsey, William; Omberg, Ronald; Swift, Peter; Carter, Joe

2013-01-01

This paper presents a technical assessment of the current inventory [∼70,150 metric tons of heavy metal (MTHM) as of 2011] of U.S.-discharged used nuclear fuel (UNF) to support decisions regarding fuel cycle strategies and research, development and demonstration (RD and D) needs. The assessment considered discharged UNF from commercial nuclear electricity generation and defense and research programs and determined that the current UNF inventory can be divided into the following three categories: 1. Disposal - excess material that is not needed for other purposes; 2. Research - material needed for RD and D purposes to support waste management (e.g., UNF storage, transportation, and disposal) and development of alternative fuel cycles (e.g., separations and advanced fuels/reactors); and 3. Recycle/Recovery - material with inherent and/or strategic value. A set of key assumptions and attributes relative to the disposition options was used to categorize the current UNF inventory. Based on consideration of RD and D needs, time frames and material needs for deployment of alternative fuel cycles, characteristics of the current UNF inventory, and possible uses to support national security interests, it was determined that the vast majority of the category, without the need for retrieval for reuse or research purposes. Access to the material in the Research and Recycle/Recovery categories should be retained to support RD and D needs and national security interests. This assessment does not assume any decision about future fuel cycle options or preclude any potential options, including those with potential recycling of commercial UNF, since the ∼2,000 MTHM that is generated annually could provide the feedstock needed for deployment of alternative fuel cycles.

Preliminary study of the nuclear power option in Belarus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grusha, N.M.; Kazazyan, V.T.; Malykhin, A.P.; Mikhalevich, A.A.; Yakushau, A.P.; Yaroshevich, O.I.

1999-01-01

The Republic of Belarus possesses an economy with many energy intensive branches. At the same time the share of domestic energy resources is about 15% of total energy demand. The share of the payment for primary energy resources reaches 60% or USD 2 billion of the total energy import. That is comparable with the annual state budget. In addition to that, about half of the installed capacities have reached their operation life and 90% of the units have to be retrofitted or replaced until 2010. Thus, the problem of energy supply is one of the most important ones for Belarus' economy. The nuclear power appears to be one of the possible ways for solving the energy demand problem in Belarus which has, as in case of many countries of Central and South-Eastern Europe, limited energy resources. In 1992 - 1994 the works for studying the possibility of NPP siting were recommenced and six relatively competitive sites have been chosen out from 54 possible locations for NPP siting. Parallely, works on assessment of environmental NPP effect in these sites were carried out. As concerning the reactors to be purchased and installed in the sites selected, the following options were taken into consideration: PWR of American Company WESTINGHOUSE; PWR N4 of France Company FRAMATOME; PWR KONVOI of German Company SIEMENS. Also promising are the new generation of Russian Reactor NPP, namely NPP - 91, NPP - 92 and NPP with NGWWER - 640 reactors. Preliminary assessment having in view the feasibility characteristics, safety, reliability as well as the degree of completion shows the Russian projects NPP - 92 and NGWWER - 640 as more preferably at present. Concerning the radioactive waste management, sites for storing low and medium active waste have been determined as well as regions for high active waste disposal. At present Belarus Republic disposes of a definite production, engineering and scientific potential, which can be used when the nuclear power program will be launched. Construction

The waste bin: nuclear waste dumping and storage in the Pacific

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Branch, J.B.

1984-01-01

Relatively small amounts of nuclear waste have been stored on Pacific islands and dumped into the Pacific Ocean since 1945. Governments of Pacific countries possessing nuclear power plants are presently seeking permanent waste storage and disposal solutions at Pacific sites including subseabed emplacement of high-level nuclear wastes and ocean dumping of low-level wastes. This article examines these plans and the response of Pacific islanders in their development of policies and international strategies to ban the proposed dumping on a regional basis. Island governments are preparing for a Regional Convention during which a treaty concerned with radioactive waste storage and disposal will be signed. (Author)

National energy planning with nuclear option

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Soetrisnanto, Arnold Y.; Hastowo, Hudi; Soentono, Soedyartomo

2002-01-01

National energy planning with nuclear option. Energy planning development is a part of the sustainable development that supports the attainment of national development goals. The objective of the study is to support the national planning and decision-making process in the energy and electric sector in Indonesia with nuclear option for period of 1998-2027. This study performs the provision of detailed economic sector and regional energy demand projection by MAED simulation model based on the economic and population scenarios. The optimization of the future energy supply such as electricity supply taking all known Indonesian energy sources and all relevant technologies into consideration by MARKAL Model. The results shows that Indonesia's need for final energy is forecasted to increase two times, from 4028,4 PJ at the beginning of study become 8145,6 PJ at the end of study. Performing the sensitivity study, it is predicted that nuclear energy could be introduced in the Java-Bali electricity grid about year 2016

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

Waste management in the nuclear engineering curriculum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tulenko, J.S.

1989-01-01

One of the most significant challenges facing the nuclear industry is to successfully close the nuclear fuel cycle and effectively demonstrate to the public that nuclear wastes do not present a health risk. This issue is currently viewed by many as the most important issue affecting public acceptance of nuclear power, and it is imperative that nuclear engineers be able to effectively address the question of nuclear waste from both a generation and disposal standpoint. To address the issue, the area of nuclear waste management has been made one of the fields of specialized study in the Department of Nuclear Engineering Sciences at the University of Florida. The study of radioactive waste management at the University of Florida is designed both for background for the general nuclear engineering student and for those wishing to specialize in it as a multidiscipline study area involving the Departments of Nuclear Engineering Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Material Science and Engineering, Geology, Civil Engineering, and Industrial Engineering

Nuclear Waste Fund management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mills, L.

1984-01-01

The Nuclear Waste Policy Acts requires that DOE enter into contracts with nuclear utilities and others to accept their nuclear wastes at some unspecified date, at some unspecified rate, hopefully starting in 1998. Contracts between DOE and the states, and with civilian and other government agencies must be sufficiently detailed to secure competitive bids on definable chunks of work at a fixed-cost basis with incentives. The need is stressed for a strong central program for the selection of contractors on the basis of competitive bidding on a fixed price basis to perform the task with defined deliverables

Nuclear waste: Quarterly report on DOE's Nuclear Waste Program as of March 31, 1987

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1987-01-01

The Nuclear Waste Policy Act established a national program and policy for safely storing, transporting, and disposing of nuclear waste. This fact sheet provides the status of the Department of Energy's program activities. They include (1) the release of a draft amendment to the mission plan in which DOE extends by 5 years its target date for beginning first repository operations and information on DOE's decision to postpone site-specific activities for the second repository; (2) a monitored retrievable storage proposal and related documents; (3) receipts of comments from utilities, state regulators, and others on its Notice of Inquiry on proposals for the calculation of fees for defense waste disposal; and (4) information on the Nuclear Waste Fund collection of over /135.4 million in fees and investment income and obligations of $139 million for program activities. The fund balance as of March 31, 1987, was about $1.5 billion

Comparison and evaluation of nuclear power plant options for geosynchronous power stations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Williams, J.R.

1975-01-01

A solution to the safety, safeguards, and radwaste disposal problems of nuclear power is to locate the breeder reactor power plants far out in geosynchronous orbit and beam the power to earth with microwaves. The generation of nuclear power in space is technologically feasible and has already been demonstrated on a small scale. It has also been shown that high efficiency microwave transmission of power from synchronous orbit to earth is feasible and is not hazardous. The reactor safety problem would be virtually eliminated because of the remoteness of the satellite power station in geosynchronous orbit. The worst possible accident at such a plant would have negligible effect on the earth, certainly less than the high altitude nuclear explosions which have been conducted in the past. Accidental re-entry from geosynchronous orbit could not occur because of the very large velocity change required. The safeguards problem can be virtually eliminated by adopting the following procedures: 1) The plant is initially started up using U-235 fuel or bred plutonium or U-233 from another geosynchronous power plant, 2) Once the plant is operating, only nonhazardous fertile materials (thorium or depleted uranium) are shipped up from earth, 3) The fissile fuel is bred and used in space, and none of this highly toxic fissile material is ever returned to earth. The radioactive waste could be concentrated and ejected in canisters into deep space away from the earth. The geosynchronous nuclear power plant offers unlimited nuclear power without nuclear hazards or nuclear pollution, but at somewhat higher cost. Whether or not society will be willing to pay these higher costs of nuclear power from space, or whether new energy resources such as nuclear fusion or solar power become feasible, remains to be seen. A prudent course to follow would be to give careful consideration to all future options for large scale energy generation, including the option of nuclear power from space

Development of nuclear waste concrete drum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wen Yinghui

1995-06-01

The raw materials selection and the properties for nuclear waste concrete drum, the formula and properties of the concrete, the specification and technical quality requirement of the drum were described. The manufacture essentials and technology, the experiments and checks as well as the effective quality control and quality assurance carried out in the course of production were presented. The developed nuclear waste drum has a simple structure, easily available raw materials and rational formula for concrete. The compressive strength of the drum is more than 70 MPa, the tensile strength is more than 5 MPa, the nitrogen permeability is (2.16∼3.6) x 10 -18 m 2 . The error of the drum in dimensions is +-2 mm. The external surface of the drum is smooth. The drum accords with China standards in the sandy surface, void and crack. The results shows China has the ability to develop and manufacture nuclear waste concrete container and lays the foundation for standardization and series of the nuclear waste container for packing and transporting nuclear wastes in China. (5 figs., 10 tabs.)

Nuclear wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2002-01-01

This scientific document presents an introduction to the nuclear wastes problems, the separation process and the transmutation, the political and technical aspects of the storage, the radioprotection standards and the biological effects. (A.L.B.)

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

Nuclear waste: good news

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gay, Michel

2014-01-01

The author states that the problem of nuclear wastes is solved. He states that 90 per cent of radioactive wastes are now permanently managed and that technical solutions for deep geological storage and for transmutation will soon solve the problem for the remaining 10 pc. He states that geological storage will be funded (it is included in electricity price). He denounces why these facts which he consider as good news, do not prevail. He proposes several documents in appendix: a text explaining the nuclear fuel cycle in France, and an extract of a report made by the national inventory of radioactive materials and wastes

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

NUCLEAR WASTE state-of-the-art reports 2004

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2004-01-01

The report is organized in three parts. First part: 'The nuclear waste question in international and Swedish perspective' takes up questions about how the handling of nuclear waste is organized. This part starts with an international overview of nuclear waste handling in several countries. The overview gives a hint about how countries look for solutions that are judged to be appropriate in the own country. The overview shows clearly that the responsibility for the nuclear waste includes both private and public operators, in varying degrees from country to country. A detailed review is presented of the Swedish process in the chapter 'The municipalities - major stakeholders in the nuclear waste issue'. In the light of the the international overview it is shown that great efforts are spent in order to reach mutual understanding and agreement at the local basis in the Swedish consultation procedure. Part two 'To handle nuclear waste risks: An overview over methods, problems and possibilities' contains an overview of our knowledge in estimating and handling risks and about methods to produce data for assessments associated with the disposal of nuclear waste from a scientific perspective. This part first presents two geoscientific methods that are used to calculate stability and hydraulic conductivity of the bedrock. In the chapter 'Fractioning of different isotopes' the possibility to consider properties of different isotopes for estimation of transport velocities of radioactive substances is discussed, for a repository for spent nuclear fuel or other radioactive wastes. In the chapter 'Copper canisters - production, sealing, durability' an overview is given of the methods used for manufacture and control of those copper canisters that constitute one of the protective barriers around the waste at geologic disposal according to the KBS-3-method. In the last chapter, an experiment to compare classification of radioactive wastes and chemical wastes, is discussed. 'The