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International safeguards relevant to geologic disposal of high-level wastes and spent fuels

Conference ·
OSTI ID:7024913
;

Spent fuels from once-through fuel cycles placed in underground repositories have the potential to become attractive targets for diversion and/or theft because of their valuable material content and decreasing radioactivity. The first geologic repository in the US, as currently designed, will contain approximately 500 Mt of plutonium, 60,000 Mt of uranium and a host of other fissile and strategically important elements. This paper identifies some of the international safeguards issues relevant to the various proposed scenarios for disposing of the spent fuel. In the context of the US program for geologic disposal of spent fuels, this paper highlights several issues that should be addressed in the near term by US industries, the Department of Energy, and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission before the geologic repositories for spent fuels become a reality. Based on US spent fuel discharges, an example is presented to illustrate the enormity of the problem of verifying spent fuel inventories. The geologic disposal scenario for high-level wastes originating from defense facilities produced a practicably irrecoverable'' waste form. Therefore, safeguards issues for geologic disposal of high-level waste now in the US are less pressing. 56 refs. , 2 figs.

Research Organization:
Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA)
Sponsoring Organization:
DOE/DP
DOE Contract Number:
W-7405-ENG-36
OSTI ID:
7024913
Report Number(s):
LA-UR-89-4151; CONF-900406--7; ON: DE90004843
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Related Subjects

050800 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Spent Fuels Reprocessing
052001 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Waste Processing
052002 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Waste Disposal & Storage
055002* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Safeguards
Inspection
& Accountability-- Nontechnical Aspects
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
98 NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, SAFEGUARDS, AND PHYSICAL PROTECTION
ACCOUNTABILITY
ACTINIDES
CRIME
ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
ECONOMICS
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
FISSILE MATERIALS
FISSIONABLE MATERIALS
FUELS
GEOLOGY
GLOBAL ASPECTS
HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
IMPLEMENTATION
MANAGEMENT
MATERIALS
MEASURING METHODS
METALS
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
NUCLEAR FUELS
NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS
PLANNING
POWER PLANTS
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL
RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
REACTOR MATERIALS
RECOMMENDATIONS
REGULATIONS
SAFEGUARDS
SECURITY
SPENT FUELS
STANDARDS
THEFT
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
UNDERGROUND DISPOSAL
URANIUM
VERIFICATION
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTES