Long-term problem for the nuclear industry
Dismantling of the 24-year-old Shippingport atomic power station over the next two years will test whether the nuclear industry can safely dispose of high-level radioactive facilities. Recent findings that some components will remain radioactive longer than anticipated may require dismantling instead of the permanent entombment the industry was planning. The five-year dismantlement will cost $40 million and generate 11,700 cubic meters of radioactive waste. Larger reactors will be even more costly. Current regulations require utilities to choose between dismantlement, safe storage, or entombment of contaminated materials. Each has its problems, but the industry objects to an evolving policy for dismantling and an accompanying requirement for a segregated decommissioning fund that would be set aside before a reactor begins operating or during plant lifetime. The latter would require an adequate insurance mechanism to cover premature shutdown. (DCK)
- OSTI ID:
- 5553462
- Journal Information:
- Science (Washington, D.C.); (United States), Journal Name: Science (Washington, D.C.); (United States) Journal Issue: 4531 Vol. 215; ISSN SCIEA
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
210801* -- Nuclear Power Plants-- Economics-- Construction & Operation-- (-1987)
29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
290600 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Nuclear Energy
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
DECOMMISSIONING
ELECTRON CAPTURE RADIOISOTOPES
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
FINANCING
HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
INDUSTRY
INSURANCE
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
INTERNAL CONVERSION RADIOISOTOPES
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
MATERIALS
MINUTES LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
NICKEL 59
NICKEL ISOTOPES
NIOBIUM 94
NIOBIUM ISOTOPES
NUCLEAR INDUSTRY
NUCLEAR INSURANCE
NUCLEI
ODD-ODD NUCLEI
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
RADIOISOTOPES
REACTOR DECOMMISSIONING
SHUTDOWNS
WASTES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES