Energy, environment: nuclear waste storage, part0
Self-tutoring about nuclear energy: the tutor begins by considering nuclear waste storage concerns.
The following is by my understanding.
Nuclear power became somewhat politically incorrect perhaps in the 20-teens. However, if people need nuclear power to drive their cars, it seems they might be willing to get used to it.
A problem about nuclear power has always been the waste it produces, in the form of spent fuel that remains significantly radioactive for perhaps thousands of years, or longer. Since radioactivity is impossible to detect by human senses, one can’t know when exposure is happening unless they have detection equipment.
An essential question is where to store the nuclear waste. With today’s technology, one can’t “get rid of it,” so it needs to be put safely to the sidelines where no-one will be exposed to its radiation. One solution I’ve recently read about is to store the nuclear waste at the nuclear generating facility.
Storing the nuclear waste at the generating facility that produces it seems to make good sense, for a few reasons:
- At such a facility, they keep nuclear materials safely from the public already, so it’s a good place to store the radioactive waste as well.
- The waste needn’t be moved, which reduces risk of it somehow reaching the public.
- The nuclear facility possesses detection equipment, so can easily monitor the nuclear waste as well.
- “Spent” nuclear fuel, since it yet is radioactive, still has more potential to produce energy. With evolving technology, today’s nuclear waste may become viable nuclear fuel.
Source:
Bullard,J., Cloutier,F., Flood,N., Gore,G., Grace,E.S., Gurney,B., Hirsch,A.J., Hugh,D., Madhosingh,C., Millett,G., Wootton,A. (1996). Science Probe 10. Nelson Canada.
Jack of Oracle Tutoring by Jack and Diane, Campbell River, BC.