radioactive waste Archives

Events at Japan’s Fukashima Dai-ichi nuclear plant have caused many to take a closer look at the U.S. nuclear power industry. Nuclear power provides 19 percent of U.S. electricity as a whole and about 70 percent of electricity produced without greenhouse gas emissions from operations. Nuclear power plants have historically provided electricity safely and reliably, and they have operated with capacity factors greater than 90 percent over the last few years.

There has been substantial worldwide interest in building new nuclear power plants. This interest is evident not only in countries that led the world in the development of nuclear power, but also in developing countries with large economies. After years of relatively slow worldwide growth, many countries that do not have a nuclear power plant are considering building one; and many nations that already have one or more nuclear power plants are considering adding more nuclear power plants and expanding their nuclear enterprises with fuel fabrication, uranium enrichment, and spent fuel reprocessing facilities to serve an expanded fleet of nuclear power plants.

The National Research Council has produced a number of reports that examine the prospects for future development of nuclear energy, the processes for transportation and storage of commercial spent nuclear fuel, safety considerations for the operation of U.S. nuclear plants, and possible unintended dual-use issues.

America’s Energy Future: Technology and Transformation discusses the current status and prospects for nuclear energy in the United States. This book examines new technologies that could make nuclear power more efficient. Hidden Costs of Energy: Inpriced Consequences of Energy Production and Use examines the costs and benefits of various sources of energy, providing detailed analyses of electricity generation from coal, natural gas, and nuclear fission, which together account for 88% of all electricity generated in the United States.

Safety and Security of Commercial Nuclear Spent Fuel Storage assesses the safety and security risks of spent nuclear fuel stored in cooling pools and dry casks at commercial nuclear power plants. Internationalization of the Nuclear Fuel Cycle addresses concerns about the proliferation risk of adding enrichment facilities in countries that do not have them now, and the possibility of providing the needed fuel and reprocessing nuclear waste without requiring indigenous enrichment facilities.

These books and others can inform debate and guide decision-making.

	America’s Energy Future: Technology and Transformation Energy touches our lives in countless ways and its costs are felt when we fill up at the gas pump, pay our home heating bills,…
	Hidden Costs of Energy: Unpriced Consequences of Energy Production and Use Despite the many benefits of energy, most of which are reflected in energy market prices, the production, distribution, and use of energy causes negative effects. Many of these negative effects are not reflected in energy market prices. When market failures like…
	Safety and Security of Commercial Spent Nuclear Fuel Storage: Public Report In response to a request from Congress, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Department of Homeland Security sponsored a National Academies study to assess the safety and security risks of spent nuclear fuel stored in cooling pools and dry casks at…
	Internationalization of the Nuclear Fuel Cycle: Goals, Strategies, and Challenges The so-called nuclear renaissance has increased worldwide interest in nuclear power. This potential growth also has increased, in some quarters, concern that nonproliferation considerations are not being given sufficient attention. In particular, since…
	Electricity from Renewable Resources: Status, Prospects, and Impediments A component in the America’s Energy Future study, Electricity from Renewable Resources examines the technical potential for electric power generation with alternative sources such as wind, solar-photovoltaic, geothermal, solar-thermal,…
	Review of DOE’s Nuclear Energy Research and Development Program There has been a substantial resurgence of interest in nuclear power in the United States over the past few years. One consequence has been a rapid growth in the research budget of DOE’s Office of Nuclear Energy (NE). In light of this growth, the Office of…
	Alternatives to the Indian Point Energy Center for Meeting New York Electric Power Needs Since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, many in the New York City area have become concerned about the possible consequences of a similar attack on the Indian Point nuclear power plantslocated about 40 miles from…
	Going the Distance?: The Safe Transport of Spent Nuclear Fuel and High-Level Radioactive Waste in the United States This new report from the National Research Councils Nuclear and Radiation Studies Board (NRSB) and the Transportation Research Board reviews the risks and technical and societal concerns for the transport of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste…
	An International Spent Nuclear Fuel Storage Facility — Exploring a Russian Site as a Prototype: Proceedings of an International Workshop As part of a long-standing collaboration on nuclear nonproliferation, the National Academy of Sciences and the Russian Academy of Sciences held a joint workshop in Moscow in 2003 on the scientific aspects of an international radioactive disposal site in Russia. …
	End Points for Spent Nuclear Fuel and High-Level Radioactive Waste in Russia and the United States End Points for spent Nuclear Fuel and High-Level Radioactive Waste in Russian and the United States provides an analysis of the management of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste in Russia and the United States, describing inventories,…
	One Step at a Time: The Staged Development of Geologic Repositories for High-Level Radioactive Waste Compared to other large engineering projects, geologic repositories for high-level waste present distinctive challenges because: 1) they are first-of-a-kind, complex, and long-term projects that must actively manage hazardous materials for many decades: 2) they…

The events at Japan’s Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant remind us of the dangers of radiation exposure. Japanese military and police personnel engaged in efforts to bring the stricken plant under control face the risk of exposure to high levels of radiation, as may ordinary Japanese citizens who are also being scanned for high radiation levels. Even as we listen with relief to predictions that the wind will blow radiation away from centers of population, many of us are prompted to consider our own vulnerability. What would happen if we faced a similar event?

The National Research Council has authored several reports about preventive strategies to mitigate the harmful health effects of radiation exposure.

Distribution and Administration of Potassium Iodide in the Event of a Nuclear Incident assesses strategies for the distribution and administration of potassium iodide in the event of a nuclear incident. Potassium iodide can prevent thyroid cancer caused by exposure to the radioactive iodine that could be released in such an event. The report says that potassium iodide pills should be available to everyone age 40 or younger—especially children and pregnant and lactating women—living near a nuclear power plant. To ensure that potassium iodide will be available in the event of an incident at a nuclear power plant that causes the release of radioiodine, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has supplied participating states with an amount of the drug equal to two dosages for every person who lives or works within 10 miles of a nuclear power plant. In addition, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has purchased potassium iodide tablets for the national pharmaceutical stockpile. This book makes recommendations for the safest and most effective way to administer potassium iodide tablets on a mass scale in the event of a nuclear incident, taking into account projected benefits and harms and the populations that should be included in such a program.

Review of the Worker and Public Health Activities Program Administered by the Department of Energy and the Department of Health and Human Services reviews the quality of the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Worker and Public Health Activities Program. The program was established to study the consequences of exposures to ionizing radiation and other hazardous materials used in DOE operations on workers and the general public in surrounding communities.

These books and others from the National Research Council examine how we can mitigate harmful effects in a nuclear event and protect workers and communities. Our titles that discuss health effects of low levels of radiation provide valuable information for decision makers and the general public.

	Distribution and Administration of Potassium Iodide in the Event of a Nuclear Incident Radioactive iodines are produced during the operation of nuclear power plants and during the detonation of nuclear weapons. In the event of a radiation incident, radioiodine is one of the contaminants that could be released into the environment. Exposure…
	Review of the Worker and Public Health Activities Program Administered by the Department of Energy and the Department of Health and Human Services
	Health Risks from Exposure to Low Levels of Ionizing Radiation: BEIR VII Phase 2 BEIR VII develops the most up-to-date and comprehensive risk estimates for cancer and other health effects from exposure to low-level ionizing radiation. It is among the first reports of its kind to include detailed estimates for cancer incidence in addition to…
	Improving the Regulation and Management of Low-Activity Radioactive Wastes
	Going the Distance?: The Safe Transport of Spent Nuclear Fuel and High-Level Radioactive Waste in the United States This new report from the National Research Council’s Nuclear and Radiation Studies Board (NRSB) and the Transportation Research Board reviews the risks and technical and societal concerns for the transport of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste…
	Assessment of the Scientific Information for the Radiation Exposure Screening and Education Program
	Risk and Decisions About Disposition of Transuranic and High-Level Radioactive Waste The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) manages dozens of sites across the nation that focus on research, design, and production of nuclear weapons and nuclear reactors for defense applications. Radioactive wastes at these sites pose a national challenge, and DOE…

Tag Archives: radioactive waste

Nuclear Energy: Status, Prospects, and Issues

Harmful Health Effects of Nuclear Radiation Exposure: Resources for Prevention