Nuclear waste management assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Nuclear waste management assignment - Essay Example Radioactive waste is dumped in the facility and kept there forever based on the assumption that radiation form this waste is containable for enormously large periods of times based on the engineering and structure of the repository and the types of rocks surrounding the facility. It is assumed that while the waste is kept in the repository, level of radiation it emits will decrease with time. Since rock formations around the repository are being depended upon to keep the radiation of the radioactive waste within the facility, location for the repository needs to be such that is surrounded by roc formations that can effectively add another barrier to the radiation’s escape. The repository will be built in a way that the waste is engulfed in multi layers barrier. When the repository is being designed, it needs to be ensured that its structure is such that in case waste needs to be retrieved, that can be easily managed. For those who believe that it will be an overnight transition, they are quite wrong. The government plan concerning its Managing Radioactive Waste Safely (MRWS) program span over a period of decades ant the first repository is thought to be ready by 2040 though regulating bodies are pushing to bring his date forward to the year 2029. This large scope of timelines makes it very clear that this project is not an easy one to undertake. The repository will not be functional for a long time for it does not only have to serve the purpose of a waste disposal site but it has to be safe and environmentally proven to be established. Unfortunately, safety is never a 100% guarantee in anything related to the nuclear industry but checks and balances are being kept in place to minimize any potential risk these repositories might pose. After site selection and before building of a repository, a complete risk assessment of any potent harm the repository might bring will be done