Long Term Storage, The Failure of the Federal Government, and NIMBY
Dec 18, 2015
Long Term Storage, The Failure of the Federal Government, and NIMBY
The current methods of storage are running out of space and are not intended for long-term use
The government was required by the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 to provide long-term storage for waste
So far, the federal government has scrapped Yucca Mountain, and it is considering alternative storage methods
The US has more than 64,000 metric tons of nuclear waste◦ “Enough to cover a football field about seven
yards deep” The half-life of the fuel is more than 1
million years Legal requirements: Nuclear Waste Policy
Act of 1982
Spent Fuel Pools Dry cask storage Long-term Storage: Yucca Mountain Reprocessing
Spent fuel rods are stored in cooling ponds
On-site at the reactors
Protects surroundings from radiation
Absorbs heat generated during radioactive decay
They were only intended as a temporary solution
They are quickly reaching full capacity
Two options for storage: horizontal and vertical
Surrounded by inert gas, steel, and concrete
Must be licensed by the NRC◦ 22 different licensed
designs 9,000 metric tons
are stored this way
Even proponents admit this is only viable for a certain number of years – right now they are licensed for 50 years
Transportation to offsite is difficult
Potential terrorist target
So far, rate payers have paid in $27 billion to the Nuclear Waste Fund
The government has spent $8 billion of this money
The site was required by law and contract to begin collecting waste in 1998
Two billion years ago, uranium in Gabon was caught in a chain reaction
Plutonium was produced and trapped in the rock
Since then, the radioactivity has moved only slightly and the plutonium has devolved into nonreactive substances
Nevada exercised its state veto right under the NWPA, but it was overruled by both houses of Congress
Nevada has protested:◦ There is significant wildlife
in the area◦ Nevada is the fastest
growing state in the nation which could change the location
◦ Upset other sites were not considered after 1987
Concerns over transporting to Nevada
Approved by Congress in 2002
Cancelled by Pres. Obama in 2009
Potential alternative sites are being considered
There’s a Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future
Only 3% high level waste remains
Results are mostly Plutonium and some Uranium-235
Current capabilities: 1/3 of the world’s fuel
In spent fuel, Plutonium is trapped in bulky assemblies, but after reprocessing it is stored in powdered form
Plutonium after reprocessing is significantly less radioactive
It is hard to keep track of all of the material at a reprocessing facility
Some storage and disposal is still required
Would divert funds from a permanent storage facility
Incredibly high price tag – perhaps $100 billion to reprocess the existing spent fuel
After reprocessing, there is little security threat
The resulting Plutonium can be used in MOX fuel but not as easily in weapons
§ 302(a)(5). Contracts entered into under this section shall provide that—◦ (A) following commencement of operation of a
repository, the Secretary shall take title to the high-level radioactive waste or spent nuclear fuel involved as expeditiously as practicable upon the request of the generator or owner of such waste or spent fuel; and
◦ (B) in return for the payment of fees established by this section, the Secretary, beginning not later than January 31, 1998, will dispose of the high-level radioactive waste or spent nuclear fuel involved as provided in this subtitle.
Federal government was to begin collecting waste in 1998 under the NWPA
Courts have found the DOE violated its contracts under the NWPA
65 claims have been filed for damages requesting $548 million. Delays past 2010 are estimated at $500 million a year
State regulators have also sued over the nuclear waste fund containing billions of dollars◦ They say to at a minimum stop collecting the $750 million a
year Projected money owed is estimated to reach $7 billion
by 2017 and $11 billion by 2020 Taxpayers are also being saddled with lawyers’ fees and
damage expenses in the cases
A federal repository as required by statute is likely a long way off because no one wants it in their state◦ When plants are decommissioned, there is some
material like parts of the plant that need to go into an underground repository
Reprocessing provides an interim solution that would also provide fuel that can be used in some instances
Even if Yucca Mountain is finished, it will only hold 70,000 metric tons, so what currently exists would fill it up