Future of nuclear waste

September 12, 2012

same Kyodo information as in the Mainichi article below

Scientists sound alarm on plan to bury nuclear waste

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120912a3.html

Kyodo

An organization representing the nation's scientists called on the government Tuesday to drop its plan to dispose of spent nuclear fuel and other high-level radioactive waste deep underground, saying the risk of geological-based problems is too high.

The Science Council of Japan proposed keeping the waste in "temporary safe storage" sites during a moratorium that could last hundreds of years while efforts are made to establish a safe way to dispose of the lethal substances.

The council compiled the proposal in response to a request by the Atomic Energy Commission to look into the current efforts to select a final repository for high-level radioactive waste — a situation that is currently in a stalemate.

"Based on current scientific knowledge, we cannot determine a geological formation that would be stable for hundreds of thousands of years. . . . And thus the best possible option is temporary storage," said Harutoshi Funabashi, a professor at Hosei University involved in working out the proposal.

"This does not mean postponing the problem irresponsibly to the future. It is to secure time to find ways to more appropriately handle the matter," he said.

During the moratorium period, the country should promote research on the stability of geological layers and improve the ability to store the waste more safely.

Funabashi said the proposal can be applied if the government maintains or gives up on its current program to reprocess spent fuel from nuclear power plants for recycling.

Under the current plan, fuel reprocessing would produce vitrified high-level radioactive waste, which is to be placed in a final disposal site more than 300 meters underground after being stored for about 30 to 50 years for cooling.

 September 11, 2012

Experts advise overhaul of nuclear disposal policy

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120911_18.html

An organization of Japanese science and technology experts says the government's nuclear waste disposal plan needs to be overhauled.

Science Council of Japan President Takashi Onishi presented the organization's proposal to Japan Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Shunsuke Kondo on Tuesday.

The council was asked in 2010 to review the government plan, which called for burying highly radioactive nuclear waste more than 300 meters underground, where it would remain for tens of thousands of years.

The plan has been stymied since being enacted in 2000, due to opposition from candidate burial sites.

The council's proposal says in view of the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, it is inappropriate to select disposal sites without social consent over nuclear policies. It also stresses that since Japan is prone to seismic and volcanic activity, there are limits with current technology to determining sites that will remain stable for tens of thousands of years.

The council says the government should brace itself for an overhaul of the current plan. It suggests temporarily storing highly radioactive waste for decades to hundreds of years either above or underground. It says during this time, technological development and public consensus should take place.

Scientists council calls for review of nuclear waste disposal method

http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20120911p2g00m0dm080000c.html

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- An organization representing scientists in Japan on Tuesday called on the government to review its plan to dispose of spent nuclear fuel and other high-level radioactive waste deep underground, citing the geological uncertainties regarding the current method.

The Science Council of Japan also proposed keeping the waste at what it calls "temporary safe storage" sites during such a moratorium period for several decades to hundreds of years while seeking to establish the final disposal method.

The council compiled the proposal in response to a request by the government's Atomic Energy Commission to look into the current efforts to select a final repository site for high-level radioactive waste, which are at a stalemate.

"Based on the current scientific knowledge, we cannot determine a geological formation that would be stable for periods of hundreds of thousands of years...And in that case the best possible option is temporary storage," said Harutoshi Funabashi, a professor at Hosei University who was involved in working out the proposal.

"This does not mean postponing the problem irresponsibly to the future. It is to secure time to find ways to more appropriately handle the matter," he added.

The waste in temporary storage, either located underground or in a facility above ground, should be placed in such a way that it can be recovered, the council said.

During the moratorium period, the country should promote research on the stability of geological layers and improve the ability to store the waste more safely.

Funabashi said that the proposal can be applied in the event of either the government maintaining or giving up the current policy to reprocess used fuel from nuclear power plants for recycling.

Under the current plan, fuel reprocessing would produce vitrified high-level radioactive waste, which is to be placed at a final disposal site more than 300 meters underground after being stored for about 30 to 50 years for cooling.

A process to solicit local governments to host the repository site is ongoing, but not much progress has been seen.

The government is currently reviewing the country's energy policy in the wake of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant disaster, which has raised questions about continuing to expand nuclear power generation.