Nuclear Waste Underground Disposal

In addition the waste stream from spent fuel reprocessing must also be disposed of.

Nuclear chain reaction gif. The quasi governmental nuclear waste management organization numo was established in 2000 to select a location and build the facility. Intermediate level waste reactor components chemicals and similar wastes which have higher levels of radioactivity may be solidified in concrete or bitumen and then buried deep underground. Direct disposal is as the name suggests a management strategy where used nuclear fuel is designated as waste and disposed of in an underground repository without any recycling.

The used fuel is placed in canisters which in turn are placed in tunnels and subsequently sealed with rocks and clay. Higher level waste which may be dangerously radioactive is more difficult to dispose of. Safe methods for the final disposal of high level radioactive waste are technically proven.

Underground nuclear waste disposal download a pdf of the original layout according to the international atomic energy commission deep disposal in stable geological formations. Plans call for construction of a storage area at least 300. Nuclear waste is neither particularly hazardous nor hard to manage relative to other toxic industrial wastes.

Underground research laboratories urls are essential to provide the scientific and technical information and practical experience that are needed for the design and construction of nuclear waste disposal facilities as well as for the development of the safety case that must be presented at various stages of repository development. The amount of radioactive waste is very small relative to wastes produced by fossil fuel electricity generation. It can be reprocessed to extract nuclear fuel or encased in glass and left deep underground.

Nuclear reactor nuclear reactor waste disposal. See assessment of disposal options for doe managed high level radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel october 2014 and disposal options for disused radioactive sources international atomic energy agency technical reports series stidoc010436 july 2005.