International radioactive waste for long-time disposal

Yana Prosvirova, Kaluba Chitumbo
2018
This thesis aims to reflect upon a problem of creating an International repository for long-term disposal of high-level radioactive waste. At the moment, there is no solution to the problem of long-term disposal of spent nuclear fuel and highly radioactive waste, although volumes of the latter are rapidly growing. The author of the thesis uses her academic background to tackle the issue from political, socio-economic and technical points of view. Approximately 270 000 tons of spent nuclear fuel
more » ... have been saved up and its number increases by 12 000 tons annually. The overload of on-site repositories requires prompt measures to replace storage with disposal. The option of managing those waste on the best possible terms, implying finding the safest, most technically advanced and legally proven solution was advised by IAEA in a context of building an International Deep geological repository for High-level waste (HLW) long-term storage. The findings indicate that many countries have already accepted the technology of Deep geological storage for HLW as the most advanced nowadays, from all of the existing HLW management strategies. However, not all of those countries own technical and economic capacities for implementing domestic programmes for HLW Deep geological storage. Moreover, the insecure level of communication with public within some countries, brings mistrust towards the scientifically proven projects and triggers protest and unacceptance, that postpones an acute problem solution for later generations. In this context, the options of reaching international cooperation via building the Deep geological repository for SNF and HLW under the aegis of the IAEA, could bring Member States a big step forward towards a long-term nuclear waste disposal.
doi:10.34726/hss.2018.36984 fatcat:45v2eum3xzg43kpvhfz2qk5owq