NOW! The Magazine of Youth & Student CND
What is nuclear waste?
In the UK, radioactive waste is divided into three categories: High Level Waste (HLW) consists of irradiated fuel from the cores of nuclear reactors, and liquid waste produced during reprocessing. The liquid can be mixed with hot glass and solidified (glassification). This makes it easier to transport and store, but does not make the waste any less dangerous. HLW is 1000 times more radioactive than Intermediate Level Waste. ILW is metal fuel cans which originally contained uranium fuel for nuclear power stations. Reactor metalwork and chemical residues are also classed as ILW, which is usually stored on the production site. It is1000 times more radioactive than Low Level Waste (LLW) which doesn’t need to be shielded for handling. Examples of LLW are clothing and lab equipment – items that have come into contact with radioactive materials. Classification of waste differs in the US. There are only two categories – HLW, which is defined as above, and LLW, which covers everything else. High level restrictions on disposal don’t apply to LLW, so this classification allows for highly radioactive waste to be dealt with less carefully.
How much nuclear waste?
In 1992, the global amount of spent fuel was 125,000 tons. The International Energy Agency (IAEA) estimates this will rise to 200,000 tons in 2000 and 450,000 tons by the middle of this century. The nuclear industry has, as yet, failed to come up with a sound solution for disposing of this phenomenal amount of waste.
What happens to nuclear waste?
-Reprocessing: The by-product of processing uranium is plutonium. Plutonium is the primary explosive in nuclear weapons. It is also used to reinforce armoured vehicles and make armour piercing shells. Before it can be used, plutonium has to be extracted from spent nuclear fuel, which is done in a reprocessing plant.
-Burying waste: Nuclear waste is buried in the ground or the seabed. The nuclear industry claims this is safe enough after a bit of processing. It’s not. It would take tens of thousands of years to get adequate proof of safety. Underground water may come into contact with radioactive elements and contaminate the drinking water of local or distant communities. In the US the largest ‘Low Level’ dump is at the Nevada Test Site, which takes waste from 18 Department of Energy (DOE) factories across the country. Waste is dumped in unlined trenches 1000 x 100 feet and only 20 feet deep. This area also suffers from earthquakes, increasing the likelihood of water contamination.
-Onsite storage: Spent fuel is kept at the processing plant, stored in large concrete or metal containers. This reduces transportation risk but can cause problems for local communities.
More info from www.n-base.org.uk
NOW! Issue 13, Summer 2000