Nuclear WasteLong 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

Overview

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

Fast Facts

Current Storage Locations

Spent Fuel Pools Dry cask storage Long-term Storage: Yucca Mountain Reprocessing

Options

Spent fuel rods are stored in cooling ponds

On-site at the reactors

Protects surroundings from radiation

Absorbs heat generated during radioactive decay

Spent Fuel Pools

They were only intended as a temporary solution

They are quickly reaching full capacity

Problems with Spent Fuel Pools

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

Dry Cask Storage

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

Problems with Dry Cask Storage

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

Government Failure:Yucca Mountain

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

Precedent for Yucca Mountain

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

NIMBY

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

Yucca Mountain’s Current Status

Only 3% high level waste remains

Results are mostly Plutonium and some Uranium-235

Current capabilities: 1/3 of the world’s fuel

Reprocessing

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

Problems with Reprocessing

After reprocessing, there is little security threat

The resulting Plutonium can be used in MOX fuel but not as easily in weapons

Counter Argument to the Security Threat from Reprocessing

§ 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.

NWPA of 1982

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

Federal Requirements

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

Conclusions