How in the world, did the world, allow anti-nuclear zealots to convince us that spent nuclear fuel is waste, when it is in fact, a treasure trove.
Moreover, they say that the spent fuel will be radioactive for tens of thousands of years and that it cannot be safely stored. The U-235, source of the bombs, and energy, and controversy, has been in the ground for billions of years, slowly decaying into radon, to form part of background radiation we must live with all of our lives, killing a small number of us every year.
For years President Carter's silly worry about proliferation has prevent us from reprocessing the spent fuel. Did he think someone could steal the spent fuel and make a bomb in a garage? However, luckily for the continuation of civilization, the tide is changing. Plans are in the works for many new nuclear electric plants worldwide, and the US Energy Department hopes to have a reprocessing plant up and running by 2020, if the technology is feasible. Four contracts have been awarded (Associated Press, Oct. 3, 2007) under the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership. Under this program, nations such as the United States and Russia will provide uranium fuel to other nations for generation of electricity. The spent fuel will then be retrieved for reprocessing; a practical way to minimize proliferation.
Moreover, they say that the spent fuel will be radioactive for tens of thousands of years and that it cannot be safely stored. The U-235, source of the bombs, and energy, and controversy, has been in the ground for billions of years, slowly decaying into radon, to form part of background radiation we must live with all of our lives, killing a small number of us every year.
For years President Carter's silly worry about proliferation has prevent us from reprocessing the spent fuel. Did he think someone could steal the spent fuel and make a bomb in a garage? However, luckily for the continuation of civilization, the tide is changing. Plans are in the works for many new nuclear electric plants worldwide, and the US Energy Department hopes to have a reprocessing plant up and running by 2020, if the technology is feasible. Four contracts have been awarded (Associated Press, Oct. 3, 2007) under the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership. Under this program, nations such as the United States and Russia will provide uranium fuel to other nations for generation of electricity. The spent fuel will then be retrieved for reprocessing; a practical way to minimize proliferation.
2 comments:
A small correction. It was not Jimmy Carter but Gerald Ford who initiated the reprocessing phase-out and shares at least half the blame on this. Carter finished it by signing it into law, but it was Ford's idea.
David Walters
Thanks for the correction. Really. However, Ford or Carter, it was a silly idea. I am glad the times are changing. Spent fuel has enormous potential for energy, and many of the isotopes have commercial uses. It is good that they plan to reprocess. Dick Shaw
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