WorldWide Drilling Resource®

29 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® JANUARY 2020 Radioactive Wastes - The Public Remains Skeptical, Part Two Adapted from World Nuclear Association Many people think the cost of hazardous level waste (HLW) management is not economically feasible. But the Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) has coordinated exercises to compare cost estimates. Due to these comparisons, estimates are becoming increasingly reliable. Since part of the cost of HLW management is passed on to nuclear power plants, they have set aside funding for this. Although the cost is high, this does not make the nuclear fuel cycle uneconomic because of the high ratio of revenue earned to waste volumes produced. Still another idea is waste should be disposed of into space. Although mentioned repeatedly since the 1970s, no further studies have been performed because of the high cost and the potential for a catastrophic launch failure. Others believe HLW should be transformed into less toxic materials, rendering it harmless in only a few hundred years. This still does not eliminate the need for ultimate disposal. Research on the alteration process is ongoing, but it is likely not a viable process because it requires additional operations. A major concern is the potential terrorist threat to large volumes of HLW currently in storage. But HLW is kept in secure nuclear facilities with appropriate protection measures. Their structure would make it difficult for terrorist action to disperse radiation. In 2002, a National Academy of Sciences’ report concluded if a dirty bomb attack were to occur, there would be few casualties with detectable contamination removed, although this would be an expensive, time-consuming task. Stronger controls to prevent theft or loss must be in place to ensure security. Many think man-made and natural radiation are different; however, this is not so. Radiation from man-made radionuclides is exactly the same form as radiation from naturally occurring radioactive materials, such as alpha, beta, or gamma radiation. Actually, natural radiation cannot be distinguished from radiation produced by the nuclear fuel cycle. Because most elements have a radioactive form (radioisotope) occurring naturally, we are surrounded by, and bathed in, natural radiation originating from rocks and soil, building materials, the sky, food, and even each other. Typical background exposure is 2-3 millisieverts per year (mSv/yr); a millisievert is a radioprotection unit measuring the radiation dose received either from a radioactive source or from other sources like X-rays. This level is very seldom exceeded. Most HLW is stored where it is generated, and there has been no government consensus on managing it. In May 2018, the House of Representatives voted to restart the Yucca Mountain Process, but Congress has not released funding to resume this project. Clearly, the process toward safe storage of HLW will become increasingly necessary, but difficult. ENV Diagram courtesy of Harvard University.