Nuclear Waste Management

This book lays a comprehensive foundation for addressing the issue of safety in the lifecycle of nuclear waste. With the focus on the fundamental principles, the book covers key technical approaches to safety in the management of spent nuclear fuel, reprocessed high-level waste, low-level waste, and decommissioning wastes. Behaviors of nuclear waste in natural and engineered systems in relation to safety assessment are also described through the explanation of fundamental processes. For any country involved with the use of nuclear power, nuclear waste management is a topic of grave importance. Although many countries have heavily invested in nuclear waste management, having a successful national program still remains a major challenge. This book offers substantial guidance for those seeking solutions to these problems. As the problem of nuclear waste management is heavily influenced by social factors, the connection between technical and social issues in nuclear waste management is also discussed. The book is a core text for advanced students in nuclear and environmental engineering, and a valuable reference for those working in nuclear engineering and related areas.

Nuclear Waste Management Strategies: An International Perspective presents worldwide insights into nuclear waste management strategies from a technical engineering perspective, with consideration for important legal aspects. It provides a one-stop, comprehensive analysis of both historical and up-to-date nuclear waste management strategies, while consulting important legal aspects of decision-making and implementation processes. With case studies from around the world, this book provides a unique understanding of nuclear waste management technologies and methods available, ensuring that researchers and engineering professionals are equipped with the right knowledge to design, build, implement and improve their own waste management strategies. This book will benefit those researching and learning in the nuclear energy sector, especially those specializing in nuclear waste management strategies, as well as technical and legal communities within nuclear and environmental areas. It is also a valuable resource for lawmakers and regulatory bodies concerned with nuclear policy and waste management. Provides a one-stop location for reference material on nuclear waste management strategies from around the world Focuses on the associated technical engineering elements of planning for, and implementing, waste management strategies Includes real-life examples from Europe, North America, South America, Asia, the Middle East and Africa

As oil reserves decline and the environment takes centre stage in public policy discussions, the merits and dangers of nuclear power and nuclear waste management are once again being debated. Nuclear Waste Management in Canada provides a critical counterpoint to the position of government and industry by examining not only the technical but also the social and ethical aspects of the issue. What do frequently used terms such as safety, risk, and acceptability really mean? And how and why did the public consultation process in Canada fail to address ethical and social issues? This timely collection defuses the uncertainty, ambiguity, and ignorance that surrounds discussions of nuclear energy.

High-level nuclear waste (HLW) is a controversial and risky issue. For the next 100 years, the HLW will be subject to policy decisions and value assessments. Physically safe, technologically stable, and socio-economically sustainable HLW-management will top the agenda. That must be accomplished in a society whose segments are both stable and in a rapid state of flux, under the influence of global as well as national factors, private interests as well as the vagaries of national politics. Among the challenges to be faced is how to codify responsibilities of nuclear industry, governments and international organisations, and any adopted management policy must attain legitimacy at the local, national, regional and global levels. All such considerations raise questions about the practical and theoretical knowledge. This special issue book will address these questions by exploring HLW-management in Canada, France, Germany, India, Sweden, the UK and the USA. Special emphasis will be placed on highlighting national context, current trends and uncertainties, with relevance to a socially sustainable contemporary and future HLW-management.

This reviews sources of radioactive waste and introduces radioactive decay and radiation shielding calculations. It covers technical and regulatory aspects of waste management with discussion questions at the end of each chapter to provide an opportunity to explore the many facets of waste management issues. An extensive reference list at the end of each chapter retains the references from the first edition of the book and incorporates references used in preparing this revised text, giving readers an opportunity to look at historical records as well as current information.

Radioactive waste management and contaminated site clean-up reviews radioactive waste management processes, technologies, and international experiences. Part one explores the fundamentals of radioactive waste including sources, characterisation, and processing strategies. International safety standards, risk assessment of radioactive wastes and remediation of contaminated sites and irradiated nuclear fuel management are also reviewed. Part two highlights the current international situation across Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America. The experience in Japan, with a specific chapter on Fukushima, is also covered. Finally, part three explores the clean-up of sites contaminated by weapons programmes including the USA and former USSR. Radioactive waste management and contaminated site clean-up is a comprehensive resource for professionals, researchers, scientists and academics in radioactive waste management, governmental and other regulatory bodies and the nuclear power industry. Explores the fundamentals of radioactive waste including sources, characterisation, and processing strategies Reviews international safety standards, risk assessment of radioactive wastes and remediation of contaminated sites and irradiated nuclear fuel management Highlights the current international situation across Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America specifically including a chapter on the experience in Fukushima, Japan

The safe management of radioactive wastes is of paramount importance in gaining both governmental and societal support for nuclear energy. The scope of this new textbook is to provide a comprehensive perspective on all types of radioactive wastes as to how they are created, classified, characterized, and disposed.Written to emphasize how geology and radionuclide chemistry impact waste management, this book is primarily designed for engineers who have little background in geology with low-level wastes, decommissioning wastes, high-level wastes and spent nuclear fuel.This textbook provides the most up-to-date information available on waste management in several countries. The content of this work includes transporting radioactive materials to disposal facilities. The textbook cites numerous case studies to illustrate past practices, current methodologies and to provide insights on how radioactive wastes may be managed in the future. An international perspective on waste management is also provided to help the readers better understand the diversity in approaches while highlighting what many countries have in common. Review questions for classroom use are provided at the end of each chapter.Related Link(s)