Implications of theories of asteroid and comet impact for policy options for management of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive wastes

Conference · Sat Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1994

OSTI ID:60761

Trask, N J ^[1]

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1. Geological Survey, Reston, VA (United States)

Concern with the threat posed by terrestrial asteroid and comet impacts has heightened as the catastrophic consequences of such events have become better appreciated. Although the probabilities of such impacts are very small, a reasonable question for debate is whether such phenomena should be taken into account in deciding policy for the management of spent fuel and high-level radioactive waste. The rate at which asteroid or comet impacts would affect areas of surface storage of radioactive waste is about the same as the estimated rate at which volcanic activity would affect the Yucca Mountain area. The Underground Retrievable Storage (URS) concept could satisfactorily reduce the risk from cosmic impact with its associated uncertainties in addition to providing other benefits described by previous authors.

• Research Organization: American Society of Civil Engineers, New York, NY (United States); American Nuclear Society, La Grange Park, IL (United States)
• OSTI ID: 60761
• Report Number(s): CONF-940553--Vol.3
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

05 NUCLEAR FUELS
ASTEROIDS
COMETS
HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
IMPACT SHOCK
RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL
RISK ASSESSMENT
YUCCA MOUNTAIN
Yucca Mountain Project