Nuclear Wastes and Public Acceptance

Storage and disposal of nuclear wastes is the foremost problem blocking public acceptance of nuclear power use. Although proponents of nuclear energy insist that technology is available to store nuclear wastes safely, no concrete programs for effective storage have materialized. Improvements in nuclear waste storage techniques are presented. Any concept for near-term nuclear storage must account for both the solid and liquid wastes that now exist. Previous errors in judgment by nuclear technicians that LED to the waste disposal problem included an overabundance of knowledge about radiation, not enough knowledge about geology, and an acute ignorance of dealing with the public. Criteria for waste disposal schemes should include provisions for containment endurance, container maintenance, storage isolation, longevity of the storage facility, and interchangability for processed waste and spent fuel elements. A plan for an underground storage facility to meet the above standards is presented.