Debate on radioactive waste disposal. No technical barriers

DEC 01, 1982

Do we know enough to dispose safely of waste that will remain radioactive for tens of thousands of years, or will any disposal program inevitably end up as an albatross around the neck of future generations?

DOI: 10.1063/1.2914881

Fred A. Donath

The “energy crisis” of the 1970s brought with it an unparalleled awareness of this country’s energy needs for the future. It became clear that an acceptable standard of living would require the use of all energy alternatives and significant expansion of specific ones. For any reasonable projection this translates into considerable dependence on nuclear energy to meet the energy demands of the next two decades while new technologies (such as solar) and improvements in existing technologies are brought to levels that can meet future demand.

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More about the authors

Fred A. Donath, CGS, Urbana, Illinois.