The radioactive waste management program of The Commission of the European Communities: Past, present, and future trends

Journal Article · Wed Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1983 · Nucl. Technol.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5659315

Orlowski, S M

The radioactive waste management program started in the mid-1970s is being carried out by the Commission of European Communities (CEC) Joint Research Centre and by research bodies within the European community under CEC coordination and partial financing. The program deals with the management of the radioactive waste resulting from uranium-plutonium fuel cycle. During its first phase (1973-1979), various treatment and conditioning processes were investigated; high temperature incineration and acid digestion of alpha-bearing waste, immobilization of highly active waste in borosilicate glasses, inter alia, appeared promising. Geological disposal was recognized as a feasible option; transmutation of long-lived products did not appear to be an advantageous alternative to geological disposal, and the studies were discontinued. The second phase (1980-1984) of the program is a followup to the first. The needs of the European nuclear industry and of the national radioactive waste agencies or operators recently created are, however, taken into account. The continuity of the RandD effort is ensured by a ''Community plan of action on waste management,'' (1980-1992). A third phase, 1984-1989, should demonstrate the availability and validity of the waste management techniques and be convincing about their safety.

• Research Organization: Commission of the European Communities, Rue de la Loi 200, B-1049 Bruxelles
• OSTI ID: 5659315
• Journal Information: Nucl. Technol.; (United States), Journal Name: Nucl. Technol.; (United States) Vol. 61:3; ISSN NUTYB
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

052000* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Waste Management
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
BOROSILICATE GLASS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COMBUSTION
CONTAINERS
EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
FUEL CYCLE
GLASS
HIGH TEMPERATURE
INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
ISOTOPES
MANAGEMENT
OXIDATION
PLUTONIUM RECYCLE
RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT
RADIOISOTOPES
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
SAFETY
TESTING
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
THORIUM CYCLE
TRANSMUTATION
UNDERGROUND DISPOSAL
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT