Nuclear Waste Management Worldwide

JUN 01, 1997

Numerous countries around the world are tackling the task of managing nuclear waste. By considering their approaches, we gain a broader perspective on the US program.

DOI: 10.1063/1.881779

Charles McCombie

The proper management of radioactive wastes involves a broad array of activities. Residues must be minimized and conditioned; waste packages must be safely handled, transported and kept in interim storage prior to their safe disposal. Further major challenges arise in cleaning up sites that have been contaminated in the course of mining uranium, producing reactor fuel and fabricating nuclear weapons. Accomplishing these tasks requires not only the development and deployment of technological processes but also the solution of obstinate socioeconomic and organizational problems: Necessary resources must be made available and—most important—acceptable sites must be found for waste management facilities.

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More about the Authors

Charles McCombie. Science and Technology, Nagra Wettingen, Switzerland.