Electric Cars

Pnoom! wrote: NaturalScience wrote: Pnoom! wrote: Where do we store the waste?  We still don't have a solution to this problem. We have a solution - underground storage.  It may not be one that you approve of but it is a solution nonetheless. Can you explain this further (this is curiosity, I'm sure you know more about it than I do)? Also, just note that I won't believe a word you say if it seems too one-sided.  I'm looking for an objective analysis that looks at both costs and benefits.  You can of course point out why you feel the potential costs are insignificant but I at least want you to deal them. Thanks in advance.

The waste will probably be encapsulated in large casks designed to withstand corrosion, impacts, radiation, and temperature extremes. Special casks will also have to be used to transfer fuel rods from their holding pools and dry storage areas next to the reactor to the permanent geological storage site"

So the pro is that with a suitable location and proper containment, the low- and high-level waste can be "tucked away" and won't impact the environment - but the con, in the case of Yucca Mountain, the proposed main nuclear waste site in Nevada, you have to consider earthquakes, erosion, and other natural forces - the problem is the time scale (i.e. half-life) associated with the waste is so long, it's almost impossible to predict what might happen that could break containment and lead to environmental disasters - if the radioactive material got into groundwater, etc.

There's also always the issue that a big nuclear waste dump doesn't top most people's list of something they want in their area.

Also try the following, I know it's wikipedia so at worst perhaps we sacrifice some accuracy but gain an objective description:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radioactive_waste#Long_term_management_of_waste