Waste, Nuclear

The processing of nuclear material such as plutonium and enriched uranium for energy production results in spent material. A nuclear power station with a 1,000 megawatt capacity will typically produce in excess of 20 tons of spent fuel annually. This material must be disposed of as safely as possible because it is highly radioactive and dangerous to human health, causing cancer and other illnesses. However, the material may sometimes be reprocessed. The fission materials produced by the original processing may be removed and the spent material can either be recycled or collected into weapons-grade plutonium or uranium.

Approximately 270,000 tons of nuclear waste has already been produced globally, and current projections are for an additional 12,000 tons to be produced annually for the next 25 years. In addition to nuclear power plants, nuclear waste is produced by nuclear-powered surface ships and submarines, and by some private research institutions. In all of these situations, regulations exist to ensure safe handling. In the case of the accidental meltdown at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in the Ukraine, it is not clear whether regulations were properly policed.

Spent material is processed in a separate facility from where it was used. It is placed in steel canisters with additional overcoats; the canister is then welded shut. This method is considered the safest means of dealing with the spent fuel. However, depending on the type of spent fuel involved, and the methods by which it has been treated, alternative means of disposal are also possible. For example, French nuclear power station technicians have devised a special method for nuclear waste disposal. Solid residue is first melted and then formed into borosilicate blocks that solidify within steel canisters approximately one meter tall and up to almost a half meter in diameter. The steel canisters are then deposited into a safe repository.

Despite accidents such as those at Chernobyl and Three Mile Island in the United States, the demands for nuclear energy are great and will only intensify in the future as a result of problems with fossil fuels such as emission of greenhouse gases and the secure sourcing of oil. Demand for nuclear energy will presumably be greatest in those countries with the highest requirements for energy and those that do not have access to alternative energy sources. Many countries are unable to store nuclear waste within their own borders because of geological, geographical and political reasons. As a result, it is necessary to consider the creation of a cross-border trade in the disposal of nuclear waste.

Understanding of safety issues surrounding nuclear waste has improved significantly since the end of the 20th century. Since nuclear waste is radioactive and slow to decay, it can cause harm for thousands of years. Considerable political and technical controversy surrounds issues relating to the safe storage of the waste. Safety issues must be considered in transporting radioactive material to a desired location. The risks involved include accidental leakage of the radioactive material while en route and attempts to seize the material for purposes of [Page 1908]terrorism or extortion. There is also the threat of geological rupture. For example, if an earthquake occurred, it could break open the containment materials holding the nuclear waste. The method widely considered viable for nuclear waste disposal is to contain the radioactive material within a non-reactive barrier and bury it deep within the earth's crust in a region not known for geological disruption.

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