4. Low-Level Waste Sources Hospitals, Labs, Nuclear Fuel Rags, Tools, Filters Hazards Not very dangerous to handle Minimal radioactivity Short-lived Management Shallow landfills Compacted Incinerated
5. Intermediate Level Waste Sources Resins, chemical sludge's, reactor components Reactor decommissioning contaminated materials Hazards Higher radioactivity Short-lived and long lived Management Special shielding Solidified in concrete or bitumen Buried – Shallow or deep depending on level.
6. High-Level Waste Sources Actual used fuel Main waste of reprocessing Hazards Highly radioactive Long-lived Management Shielding Water filled concrete vaults Airtight, steel containers
7. Future Disposal/Management Integrated Management System Centralized interim storage R&D into recycling Development of permanent storage facility Nuclear Waste Recycling Closed fuel cycle Separated uranium becomes new fuel Repositories Storage of recycling waste Yucca Mountain, NV
8. Transportation Special Containers Maintain integrity in all conditions (1 ton of fuel to three tons of shielding) Routing Specified highway routes Dedicated trains improve security and transit times
9. Final Thoughts Radioactive waste created comes in a variety of forms. All of these are potentially dangerous, but with the proper care and procedures, the waste can be managed and even recycled in order to lessen the hazard presented to society. Utility companies and the general population are stakeholders for this issue, as it can potentially have detrimental effects for all if it is not managed correctly, but can have positive outcomes if managed using the proper guidelines.
10. References EPA - Radiation Protection http://www.epa.gov/radiation/docs/radwaste/ Nuclear Energy Institute – Nuclear Waste Disposal http://www.nei.org/keyissues/nuclearwastedisposal/integratedusedfuelmanagement/ World Nuclear Association – Waste Management http://www.world-nuclear.org/education/wast.htm
