Nuclear fuel management plan clear
Allan J. Evans, The StarPhoenix
Published: Friday, July 18, 2008
Following is the viewpoint of the writer, executive director of the Saskatoon-based Prairie Policy Centre.
Whenever the subject of nuclear power comes up, the discussion almost always turns to the issue of what to do with the waste material.
Few people seem to know that Canada, through the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO), is well on its way to implementing a plan for the long-term management of its used nuclear fuel.
The NWMO was established in 2002 by Canada's nuclear power generators to assume full responsibility for all their spent fuel, as required under the Nuclear Fuel Waste Act.
This includes providing the necessary funding for the longer-term management of all current and future waste material.
The first mandate given NWMO was to study the options, consult with Canadians and make a recommendation to the federal government, which the agency did in 2005.
Canada has operated nuclear power plants since 1968.
During the ensuing 40 years, nuclear waste has been stored in temporary facilities located at the reactor sites. The used fuel bundles are first put in water-filled pools to cool for seven to 10 years and are then placed in dry storage containers, where they currently reside.
From a technical perspective, there are three options for managing used nuclear fuel over the longer-term, which are generally accepted in Canada: continue to store the used fuel at nuclear reactor sites, as we do now; centralized storage, above or below ground, at a single location; or deep geological disposal in the Canadian Shield.
In June 2007, the government decided that centralized containment and isolation of used nuclear fuel in a deep geological repository in a suitable rock formation was the best option to pursue. Subject to all regulatory approvals and public consultation, the NWMO is now responsible for making this happen, roughly as follows:
- Select a suitable location for a central deep geological containment facility while maintaining current used fuel storage at reactor sites.
- Decide whether or not to build a shallow underground storage facility and to transport used fuel from the reactor sites to the central site for interim storage. If the answer is no, the used fuel will remain at the reactor sites until the deep repository is available.
- Conduct testing to demonstrate and confirm the suitability of the site and the deep repository technology.
- Design and construct deep geological repository.
- Package used fuel in long-lived containers and place in deep geological repository, where it can be monitored and retrieved.
While it cannot know precisely how long this will take, the NWMO says the implementation process will span many decades and continue to be collaborative.
"Each phase will involve many activities and decision points, all of which will allow many opportunities to incorporate new science and social learning," says the agency.
Even some of the most passionate anti-nukes find this approach to waste management acceptable, as long as we are not talking about building new nuclear power plants or storing someone else's used fuel.
The point is, Canada eventually will have a centralized storage facility where its used nuclear fuel will be safely isolated from people and the environment for an indefinite period of time. It will also be a place where the used fuel can be continuously monitored and easily retrieved when needed.
Remember, today's nuclear reactors use up only about 10 per cent of the energy in a fuel bundle, leaving the remainder for future generations and new technologies. Without a doubt, the time will arise when the used fuel in storage will be needed. When that time comes, reprocessing, partitioning and transmutation are processes for managing used nuclear fuel that open up the possibilities for recycling or reusing this material.
While the United Kingdom, France, Russia and Japan currently reprocess used fuel for use in nuclear power plants, it is an expensive process that has not been fully developed and will still leave some form of waste to be managed. With abundant reserves of high-grade uranium, it is highly unlikely that Canada will need to consider reprocessing its used fuel anytime soon.
But, who knows what the future will hold? Technology changes everything.
We are no longer talking about nuclear waste disposal. We are talking about the safe and responsible management of an energy resource that future generations likely will need and have the technology to safely use to its full potential.
We have known for more than 20 years that deep geological isolation of used nuclear fuel is a sound technical approach. Yet, the complexity and the long timeframe involved require more than a technical response. The issue also requires consideration of environmental, economic, social and ethical concerns. That is why public engagement is an important part of the process and why it is taking so long to get things going.
But it will happen. The NWMO is committed to that.
So, don't let the issue of nuclear waste disposal sidetrack the debate about our energy future and whether or not nuclear will be a part of it.
© The StarPhoenix (Saskatoon) 2008
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