Long Term Storage for Hign Level Radioactive Waste
While there are methods of significantly reducing
the amount of high level radioactive waste, some (or all) high level radioactive waste
must end its journey in long term storage.
Because "long term" refers to a period of thousands of years, security
of the radioactive waste must be assured over geologic time periods.
The waste must not be allowed to escape to the outside environment by
any foreseeable accident, malevolent action, or geological activity.
This includes (but is certainly not limited to) accidental uncovering,
removal by groups intending to use the radioactive material in a
harmful manner, leeching of the waste into the water supply, and
exposure from earthquake activity or other geological activity.
In addition this security must be maintained over a period of time
during which, not only will the designers of the storage area die, but
the country, and the "modern world", will likely fall and be replaced
many times over. It has only been 3000 years since the Egypian Empire,
yet some high level radioactive waste will take over 20,000 years to decay.
Causing further difficulty is the fact that some of this waste is
plutonium, and other actinide elements, produced as byproducts (often
purposefully) of uranium fission. These elements are not only highly
radioactive, but highly poisonous as well. The toxicity of plutonium
is among the highest of any element known.
Areas currently being evaluated for storage of nuclear waste are
space, under the sea bed,
and large stable geologic formations on land.
Long term storage on land seems to be the favorite of most countries,
including the United States.
Nuclear Waste Disposal Home Page
Ezra Gold ezrg_ltd@uhura.cc.rochester.edu