Evaluation of alternative methods for the disposal of low-level radioactive wastes
A comparative analysis of the most viable alternatives for disposal of solid low-level radioactive wastes is presented to aid in evaluating national waste management options. Four basic alternative methods are analyzed and compared to the present practice of shallow land burial. These include deeper burial, disposal in mined cavities, disposal in engineered structures, and disposal in the oceans. Some variations in the basic methods are also presented. Technical, socio-political, and economic factors are assigened relative importances (weights) and evaluated for the various alternatives. Based on disposal of a constant volume of waste with given nuclear characteristics, the most desirable alternatives to shallow land burial in descending order of desirability appear to be: improving present practices, deeper burial, use of acceptable abandoned mines, new mines, ocean dumping, and structural disposal concepts. It must be emphasized that the evaluations reported here are generic, and use of other weights or different values for specific sites could change the conclusions and ordering of alternatives determined in this study. Impacts and costs associated with transportation over long distances predominate over differences among alternatives, indicating the desireability of establishing regional waste disposal locations. The impacts presented are for generic comparisons among alternatives, and are not intended to be predictive of the performance of any actual waste disposal facility.
- Research Organization:
- Ford, Bacon and Davis Utah, Inc., Salt Lake City (USA)
- OSTI ID:
- 6143846
- Report Number(s):
- NUREG/CR-0680; FBDU-209-03
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
EVALUATION
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
MANAGEMENT
MARINE DISPOSAL
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL
RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
SOLID WASTES
UNDERGROUND DISPOSAL
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTES