1. Nuclear Waste

2. What is Nuclear Waste? Waste that results from the use of radioactive materials -Nuclear energy -Nuclear weapons -Hospitals, Universities, & Research labs -Industry -Mining and Milling of Uranium Ore

3. Radioactive Waste Spent Fuel Rods Irradiated elements from reactors Radioactive coolant, gases, rods

4. Storing Spent Radioactive Fuel Rods Presents Risks Rods must be replaced every 3-4 years Cooled in water-filled pools Placed in dry casks Must be stored for thousands of years Vulnerable to terrorist attack

5. Dealing with Spent Fuel Rods Fig. 15-24, p. 390

6. Radioactive Waste Low Level Emit small amounts of radiation Several States (SC, UT, WA) accept these products 1980: low level radioactive policy act put disposal responsibility on states Must be stored 100 – 500 years Previously drummed & dumped in ocean High Level Initially emit large amounts of radiation Reactor equipment, fuel rods Extremely toxic, continue to produce heat Remain radioactive for thousands of years Must be converted from liquid to solid for disposal Must be stored 10,000 – 240,000 years 10 years after removal from reactor still emitting enough radiation to kill a person 1m away in 3 minutes

7. How & where do we store high level radioactive waste? 1.Isolated areas 2.Geologically stable 3.NOT near water Currently, generator facilities store these materials onsite! YIKES!

8. Possible Locations Discussed Include: A.Underground rock formations – YUCCA Mtn. B.Mausoleums in remote locations – above ground vaults C.Antarctic Ice Sheets – Unstable, melting, movement D.Ocean Seabeds in ocean ridges – threat of escape to environment E.Space – Cost prohibitive

9. Yucca Mountain 1987 – DOE – Proposed storing nuclear waste at Yucca Mtn. 160km (100 miles) NW of Las Vegas Waste stored below ground in steel casks lined with lead

10. Yucca Mountain 2002 – Bush admin. & congress approved construction Critics – Location chosen as a political not scientific decision

11. Yucca Mountain 2008 DOE submitted license for construction to NRC which is still being reviewed NO DATE on Construction completion or opening Expensive: Total cost projected >$96 billion

12. Yucca Mountain * All high level material will be transported (trucks, convoys, rail) 1 to 6 shipments each day for 24 years to transport all currently existing material SAFETY CONCERNS

13. Radioactive Decay Radioactive materials become less radioactive over time The decay process releases radiation Release is NOT constant

14. Half - Life Measurement of time it takes for one-half of a radioactive isotope sample to decay into another isotope