Is spent fuel or waste from reprocessed spent fuel simpler to dispose of
Currently, the Department of Energy plans to permanently dispose of spent fuel without reprocessing, but some experts believe that this will waste a valuable source of uranium and plutonium and pose special waste isolation problems. Until the Congress makes a decision on the future of nuclear power, DOE has no option but to plan for any eventuality--including the potential geological disposal of spent fuel. This report concludes that spent fuel; is more difficult to isolate from the biosphere than high-level waste reprocessed from spent fuel and discusses the status of DOE's efforts to provide a manmade barrier system which, when placed around the waste in a repository, will contain the radioactivity for at least the first 1,000 years.
- Research Organization:
- General Accounting Office, Washington, DC (USA). Energy and Minerals Div.
- OSTI ID:
- 5294196
- Report Number(s):
- AD-A-106573/9
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Is spent fuel or waste from reprocessed spent fuel simpler to dispose of
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COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
DIFFUSION BARRIERS
ENERGY SOURCES
ENGINEERING GEOLOGY
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
FUELS
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGY
HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
MANAGEMENT
MATERIALS
NUCLEAR FUELS
RADIATION PROTECTION
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
REACTOR MATERIALS
REPROCESSING
SALT DEPOSITS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SITE SELECTION
SPENT FUEL STORAGE
SPENT FUELS
STORAGE
UNDERGROUND DISPOSAL
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTES