Michele Kearney's Nuclear Wire

Major Energy and Environmental News and Commentary affecting the Nuclear Industry.

Friday, September 5, 2014

Is it really necessary to have a deep geologic repository for used nuclear fuel?


From Atomic Insights

Is it really necessary to have a deep geologic repository for used nuclear fuel?


It’s time to give the United States nuclear enterprise permission to quit trying to site a deep geologic repository for used nuclear fuel. 

Quoting Chairman Macfarlane: In essence, the GEIS [for continued storage of spent fuel] concludes that unavoidable adverse environmental impacts are “small” for the short-term, long-term, and indefinite time frames for storage of spent nuclear fuel. The proverbial “elephant in the room” is this: if the environmental impacts of storing waste indefinitely on the surface are essentially small, then is it necessary to have a deep geologic disposal option?

Good question. The answer is no.

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