Short term storage will reduce the radioactivity of spent nuclear fuel significantly. A ten year storage can bring a 100 times decrease in radioactivity. Radioactive material decays in an exponential fashion, thus a reduction of radioactive emissions, similar to that of the first 10 years, would take another 100 years of storage. Storing the waste for at least 10 years is reccomended. The reduction in radioactivity makes handling and shipment of the waste possible. After short term storage the waste will be sent for transmutation or long term storage.
Ezra Gold ezrg_ltd@uhura.cc.rochester.edu