Question

It takes thousands of years for radioactive wastes from nuclear power plants to decay to the point that they are no longer dangerous. These radioactive wastes are often disposed of by putting them into the ground. The site where nuclear waste is to be stored must be chosen carefully because any disturbance to the site, such as an earthquake, could cause the waste to leak out of the site and contaminate the ground and/or the water. In addition, other considerations, such as how close the site is to large centers of human population, and how close it is to important environmental resources such as wildlife refuges for endangered species, must also be considered in case leakage does occur. The question of how many people and/or important natural resources might be affected if there were leaks at a site is important.

Imagine that you were in charge in deciding where a nuclear waste site should be established on a small continent about the size of Australia. In the picture is a map showing several proposals for where the site should be and each one is indicated on the map by a square with a number in it. Study the information given on the map and decide at which place the radioactive waste disposal site should be located.

A.Which site did you choose as the radioactive waste disposal site? Write the number.

B.Approximately how far is this site from the nearest city?

C.How far is it from the nearest important environmental resource, such as a national park or wildlife refuge?

D.What is the risk of earthquake damage at the site you chose?

E. Explain why you chose the site you did. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the site and what you considered most important when making your decision about where it should be located.

Answer 1

Answer & Explanation::::::::::::

Whatever fuel is used, the waste produced in generating electricity must be managed in ways that safeguard human health and minimise the impact on the environment.For radioactive waste, this means isolating or diluting it such that the rate or concentration of any radionuclides returned to the biosphere is harmless. To achieve this, practically all radioactive waste is contained and managed, with some clearly needing deep and permanent burial. From nuclear power generation, unlike all other forms of thermal electricity generation, all waste is regulated – none is allowed to cause pollution.Nuclear power is characterised by the very large amount of energy produced from a very small amount of fuel, and the amount of waste produced during this process is also relatively small. However, much of the waste produced is radioactive and therefore must be carefully managed as hazardous material. All parts of the nuclear fuel cycle produce some radioactive waste and the cost of managing and disposing of this is part of the electricity cost (i.e. it is internalised and paid for by the electricity consumers).All toxic waste needs be dealt with safely – not just radioactive waste – and in countries with nuclear power, radioactive waste comprises a very small proportion of total industrial hazardous waste generated.Radioactive waste is not unique to the nuclear fuel cycle. Radioactive materials are used extensively in medicine, agriculture, research, manufacturing, non-destructive testing, and minerals exploration. Unlike other hazardous industrial materials, however, the level of hazard of all radioactive waste – its radioactivity – diminishes with time.