Chapter 9 - Advances to enhance safety and reduce the impacts of nuclear waste management facilities: Disposal facilities

Abstract

The radioactive waste generated arises in a wide range of physical, chemical, and radiological forms. Levels of activity concentration can vary from extremely high, such as levels associated with spent fuel and residues from fuel reprocessing to very low. Equally broad is the spectrum of half-lives of the radionuclides contained in the waste. These differences result in an equally wide variety of options for the management of radioactive waste. To protect man and the environment from radiation, waste is isolated and contained by deposition in repositories through the use of a multi-barrier concept in which engineering and natural barriers function to ensure long-term safe practice of the disposal activity. There are various alternatives currently in use across the globe for the safe disposal of waste, ranging from near-surface to geological disposal, depending on the specific classification of the waste. Designs for such repositories are directly related to the level of activity in the waste, the waste volumes, the number of long-lived radionuclides, etc. The primary goal of this report is to identify the past and current situation and practices being utilized across the globe to dispose of radioactive waste. The focus is on advances to enhance the safety of the disposal facilities. Some concluded remarks on the future outlook of radioactive waste disposal will also be drawn.