Abstract
We present a new perspective on geological disposal systems for nuclear waste. Geological disposal systems encompass all the processes required for the permanent isolation of highly-radioactive materials from humans and the biosphere. Radioactive materials requiring geological disposal are created by commercial nuclear power plants, research reactors, and defense-related nuclear activities, such as spent nuclear fuel from commercial reactors and high-level waste from reprocessing to reclaim fissile material for weapons. We show that disposal systems are so complex that new methods of representation are required. Despite the common call for a systems approach, a broader perspective is needed to obtain an integrated view of disposal systems. We introduce a conceptual formalism of geological disposal systems based on a multi-scale integrated analysis approach. This ‘metabolic’ representation allows one to account for the technical complexity of disposal systems in relation to their broader societal context. Although the paper is conceptual, the integrated formalism can improve the understanding of the complexity of disposal systems and their policy requirements by connecting technical solutions with societal constraints. However, the paper also reveals the limits to efforts to integrate technical and social dimensions of geological disposal systems into a single formalism.
Highlights
Technologists continue to search for “quick” solutions to the safe, long-term management of nuclear waste
As models are a precondition for knowledge acquisition, adopting a given model—even conceptual—to represent a system implies an unavoidable loss on some of the characteristics of that system because all systems are a simplification of the nature of the system and its behavior
In this paper, we have presented a general integrated formalism based on a technical description of geological disposal systems (Section 3.1) and applied this formalism to the proposed Yucca Mountain repository (Section 3.2)
Summary
Technologists continue to search for “quick” solutions to the safe, long-term management of nuclear waste. The global nuclear waste disposal stalemate affects countries differently, based on specific technical, scientific, political, legal and even cultural factors, we hypothesize that at least part of the problem comes from an underestimation and a misconception of the complexity of the process of disposing of radioactive materials whose inventory changes over time in evolving geologic conditions. This misconception occurs at both the technical and policy levels. The nuclear waste problem often has been considered to be “simple” and even, as Robert Oppenheimer, Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission’s General Advisory Committee, once said, “unimportant” ([2], p. 3)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
