Abstract
The disposal of nuclear waste is one of the key issues facing the use of nuclear energy. Many question the feasibility and safety of disposal for tens of thousands of years. Scientists and engineers have recommended deep geological disposal as a final solution. The goal is to keep the radioactive materials safely in geological structures and away from our surface environment. Nature provides us with evidence that geological disposal is possible based on natural reactors that operated several billion years ago. Thus far, there is one geological repository for nuclear waste operating in New Mexico since 1999 at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant. The United States proposed repository in Yucca Mountain, Nevada was politically canceled after 20years of study and the submission of a license application to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in 2008. The results of the studies and NRC review provide the data and analysis that shows the repository can be safely operated for at least 10,000years. International efforts in Europe also are making progress with Finland scheduled to open their geological repository which is now under construction in 2023 after a vigorous technical safety review. Thus, to answer the question can nuclear waste be safely disposed, the answer is yes. The big challenge is overcoming political opposition and public concerns.
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