Nuclear Waste Management – Moving Forward Toward Better Days

Nuclear power generation provides a stable, efficient and secure means of power production while remaining nearly carbon neutral, and is used as part of the overall energy mix in many countries to combat a warming climate. The positive environmental benefit from nuclear power generation has led to its rise in popularity especially among certain Asian nation states, such as China and India. As demand for access to financially accountable clean sources of power production continue to grow, nuclear energy is very firmly back on the political agenda of many countries around the world. While the idea of created nuclear waste sometimes pauses discussions moving forward or continuing with a nuclear power generating program, the polluter pays principle requires the successful management of radioactive waste and used nuclear fuel from these activities. Countries with a nuclear power generating program are at various stages in implementing nuclear waste management strategies, including developing a geologic repository, interim storage, and/or used fuel reprocessing. Until recently, the historic trend for siting and eventual construction of a long-term deep geologic repository have not seen rapid advancement, causing much public debate about the continued sustainability of nuclear power.

 

However, more positive recent advances demonstrate that long-term radioactive waste disposal practices are sustainable. Developments in a number of countries (e.g., Canada, France, Finland and Sweden) show it is possible to make the technological and political decisions to move forward with geologic repository siting through constructive levels of public engagement with a potential host community. The presentation will consider the progress of various countries’ geologic repository development, as well as the political/societal barriers to nuclear power and waste management concerns.